T-Mobile is now selling the Sony Ericsson T610, a small stylish mobile with an aluminum finish, a camera, Bluetooth, iSync compatibility, and a rough start. (Cingular customers can pick up its “Americanized” cousin, the T616 instead.)
T-Mobile is now selling the Sony Ericsson T610, a small stylish mobile with an aluminum finish, a camera, Bluetooth, iSync compatibility, and a rough start. (Cingular customers can pick up its “Americanized” cousin, the T616 instead.)
Sony Ericsson had batches of T610’s with a hissing mouthpiece, and all reviews indicate that the radio reception (RF) of the handset is merely average at best, but many people love the design with faster menus than the T68i, and a better display. Plus, it matches your new 12-Inch or 17-Inch PowerBook!
It is clearly the new mobile to own tomorrow if you have a T68i in your pocket today.
And now, instead of US$400-$500 you can get it for US$250 from T-Mobile after mail-in rebate.
If you have been merely waiting for the T610 prices to drop and don’t mind owning a phone locked to one carrier, the T610 looks pretty attractive for those that have been coveting the device for the last few weeks.
Cingular and AT&T Wireless customers should look for the T616, which Cingular currently carries in stores in their GSM markets. It is nearly identical to the T610, but drops GSM 900 support in lieu of GSM 850. Those in fringe areas or more rural environments will benefit most from GSM 850 since fewer cell sites will be required to provide coverage, and people in urban centers will like the better building penetration of the lower frequency.
Your mileage may very, however, and it’s all in the implementation. It remains to be seen how well GSM 850 will work in the United States – and only one carrier can have GSM 850 in each market, since only the “A” TDMA carrier in each market can convert their license for 800MHz spectrum to GSM 850. The FCC does not sell licenses for that band any more.