MDA now officially, really, actually available from T-Mobile

We know you've been waiting for this moment. You have, haven't you? Well, even if you haven't, you can at least be relieved, since it means that we'll stop posting items about how the T-Mobile MDA (aka the HTC Wizard) is coming. That's right. The MDA is available right now in T-Mob's online store. So, start clicking if you've been waiting to order one. Or, breathe a sigh of relief that we're done with this story if you haven't been. (And don't worry; we'll find another hot new smartphone to obsess over right away.)

[Faentur @ Feb 21st 2006 3:03PM]

Ordered mine this morning. Called 611, and was glad I did. Online has either 0 contract extension or 2 year contract extension. I did the pricce for no contract extension and after tax it was over $500.00. From Customer care I got the 1 year extension for the same discounted price of the 2 year extension online. 399.00 with a 50.00 rebate.

Will have it by Friday.

Adios SKII

oh, BTW full data unlimited access w/hotspot and gprs/edge was 29.99 or 10 bucks more than the unlimited SKII data plan I had.

Not bad.

-Faentur

[Mitch @ Feb 21st 2006 3:03PM]

Start obsessing over where the Q is!

[Coasterjob @ Feb 21st 2006 3:09PM]

Called to order too. Too expensive I think.... over 500 smackers with no contract extension....I'll wait for all the engadgets to buy one, then I'll buy when the hype is over....

Keep Buying them!!! :)

[TZK @ Feb 21st 2006 3:14PM]

I cant wait for people to return these for the E70.

That will be an whole week piece from the blogs.

Hahahaha!

You have to admit though, T-Mobile rules on the data portion of their plans!

[E-Rock @ Feb 21st 2006 3:19PM]

Unfortunately it still doesn't support push e-mail from Exchange. It's still just timed pull or SMS notification. :(

[monal @ Feb 21st 2006 3:24PM]

picked it up at lunch time, playing with it now hoping to get the corporate WIFI running using PEAP. Keyboard is better than I expected

[cybermort @ Feb 21st 2006 3:45PM]

I also order one this morning via customer support. wasn't planning on buying one but my skII broke yesterday (out of warranty). I wonder how many people will drop their skII to pick this one up.

[Jim @ Feb 21st 2006 3:46PM]

Anyone know if the antaenna works any better than the old PPC Phone from T-Mobile? I have the older one and cycle between zero and one bar in my office. I hate to switch away from T-Mobile, as I get the best rate by far. I also prefer the international coverage. I'm hoping that this phone will give me just enough better reception that it's usable in my office.

[Ken C @ Feb 21st 2006 3:48PM]

I am just hoping to win that one on Engadget mobile hehe.

[Jay @ Feb 21st 2006 3:52PM]

How fast is the WiFi, is it anything like Verizons 700w Treo? I don't know which cell to get, cause Treo 700w = way too expensive for me atleast, havent heard much from the HTC Wizard, and I was hoping that the sk3 played videos (april 6th) and or is going to be more customizable.

PS: can you upload videos from you're pc to the htcw?

[matt @ Feb 21st 2006 4:02PM]

Isn't it great that this phone is retailing for $50 less than the juicy sidekick 2?

[TZK @ Feb 21st 2006 4:03PM]

Jim = the antenna is better yes. And, I really liked the old PPC, too. This one is a bit stronger, for sure.

Jay: the WiFi is pretty quick. That is if you get it up and runing. My eval unit wa flaky, but Im sure they figured that one out after a few months.

I am waiting on the CSK3 also - either that or the E70! :)

This keyboard on this HTC, to many key combos for numbers, and if your passwords contain #'s you are going to be annoyed.

Jay, also, YES you can upload videos to this - the storage looks like an external drive.

[Kardinal @ Feb 21st 2006 4:04PM]

Return this for an E70? Can an E70 run Remote Desktop? Don't think so.

Company preordered ours a couple weeks ago, should get them tomorrow. Going to synch 'em up with EAS and see if they can do the job of our Blackberries.

Lack of AUK2 DirectPush stinks, but it's "in the works" (I know, they always say that), and until then, unlimited SMS for $15 a month is an adequate business solution.

[MikeyKnows @ Feb 21st 2006 4:17PM]

Why would any of you fools have T-Mobile is beyond me, unless of course you are under the age of 12 i can see having T-Horrible would be soooooooo coooooool duuuuuude. Can you hear me now? No, oh thats right, your on T-Mobile's schmuckwork, i mean network. LOSERS

[JeremyS @ Feb 21st 2006 4:20PM]

Could someone explain the big hoopla about this updated Sidekick?

[zorn @ Feb 21st 2006 4:36PM]

I was just at the local T-Mobile store, and got to play with the MDA, it's super tiny and very sleek. I don't know how I feel about switching phones, I think I'd rather keep my SKII.

Cool phone regardless

[Luis @ Feb 21st 2006 4:37PM]

I just ordered mine online but i used UPS ground shipping and it may take up to 7 days. I gave up hope on the sidekick 3!! By the time it comes out there will be some new stuff ready to be released just like it happened with the SKII

[Faentur @ Feb 21st 2006 4:38PM]

# 11 MikeyKnows

I use T-Mobile because of all of the major carriers in my area, they are the only one to work in my house. I see people stopped at the bottom of our hill all the time so they won't loose their calls going up the hill.

so yes, you CAN hear me now.

-f

[Dan (thoughtfix) @ Feb 21st 2006 4:43PM]

Did ANYONE get any kind of notification by signing up for that "be the first" promotion?
As of two minutes ago, the site was still live:
www.t-mobile.com/bethefirst/

[Ed @ Feb 21st 2006 4:44PM]

I'm torn between ditching Danger and going with a new device, or holding out and hoping that the new sidekick III is worth the wait. I guess it all boils down to who it's marketed to: the geeks or the kids.

[crow @ Feb 21st 2006 4:47PM]

I made it into the store near my office just in time. I got the last one of the two they had gotten the night before.

FYI: Amazon has a miniSD card for a pretty good price:
http://dealmac.com/deals/San-Disk-1-GB-mini-SD-Card-for-51-shipped/110913.html?ref=rss_dealmac_20

I just ordered it, and since it qualifies for the "Super Saver Shipping" I really did get it for $51. It even has an SD adapter with it...

I thought it was a pretty good price. Most of the rest I have seen were much more expensive. If not let me know... :-)

[Tyler @ Feb 21st 2006 4:50PM]

I just got the HTC Wizard from Cingular; 8125. It rocks!

[Justin Wolfers @ Feb 21st 2006 5:00PM]

Can one use this to provide a wireless high speed connection for your laptop, and if so, how? Any thoughts?

[Bobby @ Feb 21st 2006 5:13PM]

T-Mobile just pissed me off to the point where if I could cancel my service without getting reemed on breaking my contract, I would.

First off, they signed me up for some limited service that they didn't tell me about and won't let me change my rate plan. Therefore, the only way I could get the unlimited data was to completely cancel all my minutes on my cellphone and pay for pure overcharge (I only use like 100 minutes a month so no biggie).

I go to a T-Mobile store and I buy the phone, the guy screws up (this is AFTER he's changed my plan to the data plan) by overcharging me. I point out his mistake and he doesn't know how to fix it (and of course there's no manager there). So he runs a return on the phone and then proceeds to start over. This time my credit card is denied because now T-Mobile has 400 bucks of my money on hold and there's NO return in my account.

The guy looks at me with a straight face and says "I'm sorry, you're card is being denied...there's nothing I can do about it."

I called my bank on the spot and asked them to check for an incoming credit...the lady tells me there is no credit, just the money on hold to T-Mobile and the denial when he tried to run the card again.

I tell the idiot behind the counter that there was no return and he refuses to listen to me...I hand the phone to him so he can talk to my bank directly and he begins arguing with the lady on the phone. Finally he hands the phone back to me and says "sorry, I can't do anything for you" and walks away.

I storm out of the store and call T-Mobile directly and ask to speak to a manager...I explain the situation and ask how long until the money reappears in my account and his answer to me is "We don't have any record of that type of information, you'd have to speak to your bank."

Most worthless customer support I've ever had to deal with. If I treated anyone I work with, wish such disrespect I'd be standing in the unemployment line the next day.

Unfortunately this piece of crap company has me by the short and curlies because of a service contract I can't get out of.

[Mike @ Feb 21st 2006 5:24PM]

Dan- I sure didn't get any notification.

[Nick @ Feb 21st 2006 5:53PM]

#21: That sounds surreal. The limited access plan you speak of is usually people with immature credit, or no prior phone history, and is wiped away in 6 months, allowing you to change plans. You can also pay a deposit toward a higher plan. If it's anything besides what I just described, then you can change at any time -- give 611 a call and describe what you were talking about. Their customer service people have been all kinds of helpful to me. As much as I loathe commercials about their service, they've been right. I've been with T-mo for about 3 years now, and I tried everyone (seriously) before them, almost going to small claims court against Sprint at the time.

As for the hater up there about T-Mobile, I get more minutes, better data plans, great service, and a great network here in the Seattle area. That is why I'm with T-Mobile. Sure, the phone variety has generally sucked, but on the other hand, I get the wide variety of GSM phones available around the world. Nokia treats me very well. :)

[mike @ Feb 21st 2006 6:31PM]

This thing is pretty sweet but when will T-mobile come out with another Symbian phone?

http://www.cranburypcrepair.com

[airboarder @ Feb 21st 2006 6:38PM]

I purchase an SDA on Monday the 13th and used it for a week. Today I decided to exchange it and upgrade to the MDA. They are both great phones and very unique. I loved the size of the SDA and the screen is beautiful. The media player buttons were nice and I actually favored having the miniSD card tucked under the battery. I'm using a 1and1 exchange email account and I can sync all my exchange data over wifi without connecting to a pc. I decided to switch to the MDA because I didn't find the SDA to be very easy to dial with one hand. The buttons are very close to the bottom of the screen and are not very tactile. You basically have to use both and and watch as you dial. I decided to purchas a bluetooth headset which I love and both phones have voice tag dialing so I don't have to use the keypad for most calls now anyway. Overall, the touchscreen and full keyboard make the MDA easier for me to use. If you want a sweet Pocket PC phone with WiFi and dont' want to pay the extra $50/month for a data package. the MDA is totally the way to go.

[Matt @ Feb 21st 2006 8:01PM]

To Mr. MikeyKnows..nothing... How dare you offending anyone in this forum? What gives you the reason to call people loosers just because they decided to go with one network and not the other. Apparently with your comments you must be using Firefly phone with four buttons on it. I wonder which network you're on??? Let's compare prices and then we'll see who the real looser is?
I've been with T-Mobile for 5 years now. I'd not go to ANYONE. Yes..they are slow in rolling out the services but what they roll out is good. So to recap...
T-Mobile with 1000 anytime minutes with no roaming fees plus free nights and weekends: 35 dollars. T-Zones WAP internet: 5 dollars. 1000 any messages - $9.99. Proving to MikeyKnows that indeed HE is the looser - Priceless.

So let's see what you have and then we can talk. Btw.. everyone chooses their carrier based on the area they live in or their needs so don't call people loosers with your firefly phone.

Proud T-Mobile user.

[Joy @ Feb 21st 2006 8:09PM]

i wanna win one of these :)

[Jason @ Feb 21st 2006 8:12PM]

I picked one up at lunch today too. It was one of the last ones not reserved. I was giddy about picking it up today because last Friday I shattered the screen on my Sidekick. It still works, but I cannot see who is calling, and my text messaging addiction has been curbed. But I digress...

So I grabbed it, they rang it up ($379 w/tax before the $50 mail in rebate). Then she asked what plan changes I wanted. I pointed to the banner on the wall which showed unlimited txt, web, data, etc, and 1000 minutes for $59.99. Well, it turns out that that plan does not aply to this phone. I'd have to get everything ala carte.

$40 - 1000 min
$30 - Internet Add-on plan (no txt messages included)
$10 - 1000 text messages

So that's an extra $20 a month that I was not planning on spending, so I was about to get my money back when she told me to try it for 14 days, and I could return it if I didn't like it.

So I started playing with it, and I gotta tell you, it's no sidekick. Here are a few things I really don't like:
For most of what you could do with two thumbs using the SK2, you now have to pull out the stylus to perform.
I miss my scroll wheel.
Dialing on the touch screen is verrry hard while driving (stupid fat fingers)
No dedicated row of numbers on QWERTY
No phone-like numeric layout on QWERTY
Sending a text message is now a 3-4 step process
You HAVE to use the stylus to get around.

I would list the nice things about it, but I think others have done a pretty good job at that. Anyway, back it goes tomorrow.

Anyone know how to replace a busted SK2 screen?

On

[Matt N @ Feb 21st 2006 8:21PM]

#26, You're right about MikeyKnowsVeryLittle.

I'd like to add that though T-Mobile's data isn't cutting EDGE (oun intended), it is plenty fast for email and light browsing, plus it's dirt cheap! Their coverage is just fine. Every carrier has weak areas and weak markets, but overall they rank quite high.

MikeyKnows... You're accusing others of being 12 years old, but your command of the language makes you sound about half that age. Your wireless carrier doesn't make you a loser. In your case, your words do.

[bozer @ Feb 21st 2006 8:31PM]

Does this MDA thingamajing allow me to get my corporate email from our Exchange server? Or does it only sync the contacts like the crappy SKII did?

[Andy @ Feb 21st 2006 10:11PM]

I've been playing with the Wizard since last October because my SMT5600 broke (for the 2nd time) and everyone is right - it rocks!! But to open up the QWERTY (or use the stylus) to IM or dial is a pain.

I highly recommend getting a Bluetooth headset because holding this thing to your ear is not as comfortable as you might think; and the little speaker is kind of hard to hear from (sometimes).

I sync my emails every 5 minutes (I can do it every minute if I wanted to, but at the office and home I do it every 2 minutes).

The WiFi is great for Skype and listening to internet radio or watching my videos & listening to music streamed from home. But the processor could be faster (maybe next year�s model).

I am getting a 2GB Mini SD card for $100 online. There are so many apps to use on this thing � go to handango!

Folks, this is no upgrade to a sidekick! It�s a Crackberry on steroids. There is no comparison to anything! WM5 is superior and Tmo Rocks! They will leapfrog to 4G in 2007 over Verizon � watch my words (you�ll see). Cingular�s data plan (btw) sucks; not to mention their customer service.

ENJOY

[Andrew @ Feb 22nd 2006 12:26AM]

I like it, althopugh i dont think i can afford it, I already bought a Zen vision. Im thinking of a phone with qwerty keypad still because those are so cool.
-Andrew

[F242 @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:44AM]

.... and Nokia 9300 is still coming soooooooon to US .....

[yoshi @ Feb 22nd 2006 2:48AM]

the mda looks nice, but all of the problems about basica phone functionality are obvious- hard to dial a basic number, reliance on the stylus for navigation, no scroll wheel, etc.

thats why i picked up the sda. i love it. for dialing numbers, use like a basic phone, plus email (a huge improvement with edge over the smt5600), plus GREAT music media player functionality, plus quick internet browsing (without pix of course) its amazing.

[Aart Nicolai @ Feb 22nd 2006 3:21AM]

Don't be to exited about it.
Here in Holland the phone is available for about 3 months now. i bought it three weeks ago and sold a week ago. It looks nice, has wifi, bluetooth etc.. but the but cpu is very slow. Is was not possible to run Skype for instance. Another problem is the phone software. This acts also very slow and there is no dailpad available when calling. So, when you're in a call you're not able to press "1 to speak to the service department" for instance.. Allright, it's a start. I would rather wait for a faster and more stable phone.

[OperationWinkle @ Feb 22nd 2006 5:38AM]

I'm in the UK, and I've also had one for months. #34, try the "keypad" link on the bottom left softkey when you're in a call - voila keypad.

All in all it's a great phone, but not perfect. Data is also v. cheap in the UK, albeit only at GPRS speeds, and connecting to GPRS takes a little while.

Main crit for the phone is a slow CPU - changing from landscape to portrait, which you'll do a lot, can be slow. More: although the hardware can do 802.11g, the MDA version is locked to 802.11b.

But when it gets to working it's fantastic. Install Opera Mobile, turn off images, and you can have all the data you want. Even MSN or IRC (PocketIRC) connect on the move - combine this with the full Qwerty keyboard and it's magic!

[Chris @ Feb 22nd 2006 6:57AM]

Why would it not auto sync with corporate email? I thought that was a feature of Exchange 2003 SP2 and having a WM5 device?

[Don E. Brazko @ Feb 22nd 2006 12:13PM]

You guys stop complaining...

The phone is great for what it does and the fact that it is one of the 1st batch of devices using wm5, I think it's great. It's a little more expensive than the competition but hey it's worth it ...

[John @ Feb 22nd 2006 12:30PM]

I also picked up a MDA from TMobil yesterday. The phone is not bad. I signed up 2 additional lines yesterday to add to my existing plan which is out of contract. So I am paying an additional $10 per month for it, plus $29.99 for th data plan with hotspot. I wish they still offered the 19.99 data plan, but they said that is no longer available. However, I was able to get a 19.99 blackberry data plan for the blackberry 7105 I picked up yesterday.

Internet browsing speed is pretty good over GPRS. Wifi is a bit faster. I also use this device for IMing....and I have to say thats where disappointment rolls in. There seems to be a big delay in sending/receiving messages. Also, for some reason, i keep ketting blank IMs from this one person on my list...and they are not sending them to me....whats up with that? Maybe a restart of the application will solve this...hopefully.

Haven't had the chance to play with this more, but will post more impressions soon.

Thanks,
John

[Faentur @ Feb 22nd 2006 1:07PM]

UPS shows the good old "OUT FOR DELIVERY" message, so I am trying not to hold my breath...

I am new to WM5 and pocketPC in general, anyone know a good website for reading about and downloading apps for it? I know about opera, minimo, and skype. What else do you see yourselves running on your MDA?

[Minh Nguyen @ Feb 23rd 2006 7:49PM]

Compact but fully load. Thumbs UP for this MDA.

[Ben Goetting @ Feb 23rd 2006 11:28PM]

so i couldn't stand waiting to try to win one, I went and bought it. Wonky menu lag time, a 1.3 MP camera that takes picutures nowhere NEAR as good as the 1.3 mp camera on my T-809, and the AIM client that is a joke compared to how well AIM works on my old sidekick. Fine for business men, but for someone who wanted basically a sidekick with a better camera and a few more features this thing is kind of a let down.

[Minh Nguyen @ Feb 24th 2006 11:13AM]

Finally, HTC phone landed in US. Fully loaded with compact design.

[Eyewake @ Feb 25th 2006 2:46PM]

I bought it the same day that became available at the T-Mobile store in Miami, I paid $349 with 2 years contract. I love the device, I'm a mac user and I was never into PC but this little device did it to me.
Here are the Pro and Cons from a user perspective:
1- Best keyboard out there, you can actually type

2- The Letter "O" is right Next to the number "0" and I keep confusing the "O" for a "0". Does anyone have this problem?

3- Some times the screen stalls when rotating upon opening/closing.

4- No Mac third party available to synchronize WM5 ("the missing sync" announced the development of an upgrade that will make this possible" for now "it's a bummer"

5- Email- No way to filter Junk mail so I keep getting over 100 emails of unsolicited material.

6- Voice command -you can basically trigger any application with your voice, I love that, although it's pretty buggy and you may end opening something else but what you requested.

7- I can't find a way to turn off the annoying email notice, when the device connects with my home network a loud sound plays telling me that I have emails. Even though I've found an option to turn this off, it seems not to work on my device. So I have to put the phone on vibration when I go to sleep.

8- when the phone goes to sleep it only wakes up by pressing the power button,they should allow you to wake it up by pressing any key from the keyboard.

9- this is probably any other WM device, but the settings are not pretty straight forward in most applications.

10- In 2006 we should start seeing expensive devices with better camera quality, this one has a 1.3 mega pixel, same resolution as the very first phone that came out with a camera.

11- for example when you are in the address book entering a phone number on a number field, the phone should know that there is no need for you to switch to number mode since the only thing you can type in that field are numbers.

12- excellent Size, and it has no antenna sticking out, like treo for example.

Conclusion:
a- Great Phone
b- I recommend it
c- I wish Apple came out with something like this, my reviewed would have been resummed to one word "perfection"
d: Buy it at the store for $349.

[Eyewake @ Feb 25th 2006 2:52PM]

I bought it the same day that became available at the T-Mobile store in Miami, I paid $349 with 2 years contract. I love the device, I'm a mac user and I was never into PC but this little device did it to me.
Here are the Pro and Cons from a user perspective:
1- Best keyboard out there, you can actually type

2- The Letter "O" is right Next to the number "0" and I keep confusing the "O" for a "0". Does anyone have this problem?

3- Some times the screen stalls when rotating upon opening/closing.

4- No Mac third party available to synchronize WM5 ("the missing sync" announced the development of an upgrade that will make this possible" for now "it's a bummer"

5- Email- No way to filter Junk mail so I keep getting over 100 emails of unsolicited material.

6- Voice command -you can basically trigger any application with your voice, I love that, although it's pretty buggy and you may end opening something else but what you requested.

7- I can't find a way to turn off the annoying email notice, when the device connects with my home network a loud sound plays telling me that I have emails. Even though I've found an option to turn this off, it seems not to work on my device. So I have to put the phone on vibration when I go to sleep.

8- when the phone goes to sleep it only wakes up by pressing the power button,they should allow you to wake it up by pressing any key from the keyboard.

9- this is probably any other WM device, but the settings are not pretty straight forward in most applications.

10- In 2006 we should start seeing expensive devices with better camera quality, this one has a 1.3 mega pixel, same resolution as the very first phone that came out with a camera.

11- for example when you are in the address book entering a phone number on a number field, the phone should know that there is no need for you to switch to number mode since the only thing you can type in that field are numbers.

12- excellent Size, and it has no antenna sticking out, like treo for example.

[Stas @ Feb 26th 2006 11:51PM]

Hey all,

I was trying to use WiFi at the place I usualy do with my laptop, but my MDA doesn`t catch any signal. Does the Laptop Wifi much stronger then MDA wireless adaptor ?
One more... do you always have to use stylus ot you can just tap with a finger?
Thanks

[Minh Nguyen @ Feb 27th 2006 5:03PM]

The Gadget is everyone waiting for.