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WinMo 6 ROMs for HTC Star Trek bring it out of the graveyard
HTC's Star Trek can now be safely categorized in the "classic" file, but it'd be a big mistake to put this interesting footnote in HTC's history out to pasture just yet. The handset, after all, ranks among the smallest Windows Mobile phones ever made, among the only clamshells, and arguably, among the most attractive (alright, maybe that's a bit of a stretch). But with that stale Windows Mobile 5 build on there hastening its death, what's an owner to do? Turn to the wizards at xda-developers, of course, who've come out swinging with a number of different Windows Mobile 6-based ROMs for a variety of Star Trek flavors, including the Cingular 3125 likely owned by many American customers, and it's all available for download. Always fun to see new life breathed into perfectly decent hardware, ain't it?[Via pocketnow.com]
The Boy Genius Report: A bit of Cingular Q4 product info
Field report tidbits from Engadget's mobile insider, The Boy Genius.Well would you look at that, a Cingular display already up in stores showing three "increased productivity" devices. One comes from the BlackBerry 8700c, one happens to be the Cingular 3125 Smartphone, and the last, but certainly not least, is the Palm Treo 680. We also found out from our man with the plan that Cingular's BlackBerry Pearl will launch before Christmas, with very minor cosmetic differences (e.g. keypad color, and so on). It will still have a camera despite some rumors around the net, and will have a nice friend to play with -- the Motorola KRZR. More info to come.Update: We also just got word of a new ruggedized Motorola phone also due soon; just don't get your hopes up that it's some military-grade Q or anything, you should know by now what most ruggedized gear is like.Be sure to check out the The Boy Genius Report for more from The Boy Genius.
Cingular 3125 / HTC Star Trek reviewed
Ever since the RAZR popularized the concept of thinness as a selling point for mobile phones, the industry has been flooded with dozens of copy-cat devices attempting to cash in on the trend for anorexic handsets. Until now, Windows Mobile devices have largely skipped past this fad, with the majority of said phones either being chunky candybars or wide QWERTY phones. The first of no doubt many WinMob phones to take a good stab at combining RAZR thin beauty with Windows Mobile's business practicality is the HTC Star Trek (or Cingular's 3125 if you prefer the numerical name). As well as looking substantially more attractive than most of its peers, the 3125 does the most important core features of a cellphone very well: for example, the 3125's long lasting battery life will go down well with potential buyers, though Cingular may have gone slightly overboard with their higher capacity cell that add a lot of junk to the phone's trunk. The relatively low price ($149.99), vibrant internal and external displays, and great reception combined with the unparalleled design for a device of its type all point to the 3125 being a good phone. Unfortunately, as is so often the case, a number of niggles mean that the Star Trek isn't quite a great phone. An array of outdated features like Bluetooth 1.1, USB 1.1, an average camera, and the lack of Wi-Fi, 3G UMTS, and an IR port will disappoint certain buyers. There are also a couple of notable, but relatively minor design no-nos, like the microSD slot being located underneath the SIM card, and a single proprietary data, power, and audio port awkwardly located on the side of the phone. PC Magazine said that if you "think of the handset as a cutting-edge smartphone ... you'll probably be disappointed", with The Unwired saying that the 3125 is "a lifestyle and fashion-device which can also attract regular mobile phone users" and Laptop Magazine calling it "just smart enough": what we think they're trying to say is that the 3125 is a phone that will satisfy business types with an eye for design, but has a far too limited feature set to keep power users happy.Read - Laptop MagazineRead - PC MagazineRead - The UnwiredRead - Mobility Site
Cingular 3125 puts on some weight
So one of the major selling points of HTC's Star Trek is its slim, sleek profile, right? Cingular may not have gotten the memo, having apparently decided to bundle theirs (the 3125, as you may recall) with a larger battery, necessitating a bulged-out hindquarters. Granted, we're guessing the benefit to standby and talk times justify the growth for some folks -- but we think we'd rather have seen this as an option, leaving the stock product true to form. Either way, get all your humptastic, Cingular-branded 3125 shots after the break.
Cingular 3125 / HTC Star Trek now shipping
So after a bit of a wait Cingular went ahead and launched the 3125 today in line with that September launch grid we peeped last week. This re-branded HTC Star Trek will set you back $149 after online discounts assuming you go for the ol' 2-year contract, that is. And yeah, we'll run down the specs on this WinMo flip one last time for ya: Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone, 1.3 megapixel cam, Bluetooth, Direct Push mail, quad-band GSM with GPRS/EDGE, 128MB ROM / 64MB RAM and a 2.2-inch TFT display all powered by a 200 MHz TI proc. So giddy up dog, just don't tell 'em Engadget sent ya.
Cingular's September launches in writing (but not in stone)
We encourage everyone to take these tidbits with the usual boulder-sized grain of salt, but America's favorite (read: only) HSDPA carrier has dropped their September launch grid, and on account of our friends' slippery hands, it's subsequently found its way over to Engadget HQ. Thanks to our own Boy Genius among countless other tipsters, nothing on the grid has really taken us by surprise -- no UMTS 1900 N80s, for example -- but we're encouraged by Cingular's (foolhardy?) optimism that the 8525 might yet see a release this month. Also allegedly along for the ride are the 3125, the oft-promised but rarely-delivered Nokia E62 (which turns out to be a lifetime exclusive for Cingular), the Samsung SGH-C417 that now appears to be on limited sale, and Sony Ericsson's middling W300 Walkman flip. And, oh yeah, the Motorola L6 is in there, too. Don't ask us.[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Star Trek, hw6900 series coming to Cingular next week?
Cingular rebate forms circulating over the past couple days are indicating the presence of three devices -- HP's hw6920 / hw6925 and HTC's Star Trek, offered here as the 3125 -- and while too much time has passed for us to get too worked up at the thought of putting our hands on any of these, they're worth noting nonetheless. Now, the popular rumor says that since these puppies have shown up with rebates, they're in the pipeline for delivery next week. While we're hoping that's true, we're not betting on it. Cingular has a reputation for placing rebates on phones ages before their retail availability -- heck, it's not even unheard of for rebates to expire before the phone even drops. So if next week comes and goes and one, two, or all three of these handsets are nowhere to be found, just remember: a pessimist is never disappointed.
