The Top 5 Windows Mobile smartphones

I love lists, they’re organized and straightforward. They help you make easy decisions and its easy on the eyes. And who doesn’t love a Top 5 list? Good, then let’s get started.

This list is limited to currently released/available GSM phones with quad-band capabilty. Because what good is a “Top 5″ phone if it doesn’t work in your country. Rankings are based on (in order of most to least important) feature set, ergonomics/size, battery life.


Top 5 Windows Mobile 5.0 smartphones (Pocket PC phones with touchscreens)
1. HTC TyTn (Hermes) / Cingular 8525 / Dopod 838Pro

-In terms of features, The TyTn takes the cake. It boasts quad-band capability, making it a true world phone. It has a 3G radio for wireless broadband-speed connectivity. An EDGE (GPRS Class 10) radio is also included for those times when HSDPA is out of reach. Network coverage isn’t even needed to get your data groove on, with WiFi you can get your internet jonesin on anywhere with a wireless network. Bluetooth is pretty much a requisite with high end phones like this, but this one goes above and beyond with Bt 2.0 and Ir connectivity. The camera gives us 2 mega-pixels of jpeg goodness. The slide-out qwerty keyboard makes this a multimedia and messaging powerhouse and allows for a nice portrait oriented screen that isn’t competing for space with a keyboard. The device is a little on the bigger side of things, but not so bloated that it cant fit in your pocket. Battery life is great for a device with all these features (200 hours of standby).

2. Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Treo 750

-Palm has been a leader in smartphones for a while now. But only recently did they introduce models featuring WM 5.0, qualifying the Treo 750 as a “smartphone” by our definition. The Treo 750 takes a back seat to the TyTn mainly for its size, but we’ll get back to that. This smartphone also packs in the features with a quad-band, 3G, and EDGE radio with excellent performace – radio reception is where Palm devices shine. WiFi enables always on connectivity where your wireless carrier neglected to install a GSM tower in your area. The camera offers a respectable 1.3 mega-pixels, but is less than the TyTn. Bluetooth 1.2 and Ir connectivity options give you a wide range of options for connecting to and with this phone. The qwerty keyboard lies under the 320×320 lcd screen. This setup give the screen a slightly oddball shape and is smaller than the rest of the screens in this lineup. The Treo 750 suffers from a bloated gut that is keeping this guy from being at the top of this list. The battery is a saving grace with 250 hours or continuous uptime.

3. Eten M700

-ETEN did a bang up job with its M700, a qwerty-keyboard version of their previous M500. The M700 give us quad-band radios (this is getting a little redundant…wait, wasn’t quad-band a requirement for this list?) supplemented with EDGE high speed data. But why no 3G, you ask? Well, ETEN decided to forego the 2100Mhz radio in favor of built-in GPS!! Thats right, the form factor and feature set of this device is similar to the TyTn, but in lieu of 3G, we get GPS. Good trade off, and GPS in this sliding qwerty-keyboard PPC phone is enough in itself to get this device the #3 spot on this list.

4. HTC P4350 (Herald) / Dopod C800

-Another HTC phone in this lineup is the HTC P4350. This is the smallest sliding-keyboard phone in the lineup. The feature set again includes a quad-band radio with EDGE for high speed wireless data. We see WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0, but no Ir port. The slide-out qwerty keyboard has a unique auto-opening feature that slides out the keyboard with just a slight push. The camera is the same 2.0 mega-pixel as that on the TyTn, and performs similarly. The high point on this phone is the form factor/size. Nowhere else do we find that oh-so-great qwerty slider form factor combined with the thin and small dimensions we see here. Being both shorter and much thinner than the Tytn it the P4350 has no problem slipping into a pocket or holding it in your hand. The Herald also boasts a nifty “rubbery” finish. Battery life is good with 200 hours of standby time. The unique auto-opening slider, small size, and a nice tactile feel make this phone a top contender among faster and more feature packed phones.

5. I-mate JAQ3 / UBiQUiO 501

-This not-so-fugly revision to the JAQ sports a candy bar form factor and more quad-band goodness. There is no 3G radio but we get EDGE serving up high speed data and wifi making sure your always connected. With Bluetooth 1.2 and an Ir port, you won’t be lacking for connectivity options. The 2 mega-pixel shooter provides decent pics. This phone is notable for its slim (14.5mm thick) candy bar design with a qwerty keyboard. Battery life is so-so with 150 hours of standby time, the shortest of the bunch.

Honorable mention
-Nokia E61 (not a Windows-based smartphone)

-Sony Ericsson P990i (not a Windows-based smartphone)