UPDATE: HTC TyTN now Shipping!!!

Any confirmation from anyone yet on whether the Tytn has out-of-the-box A2DP & AVRCP (to support Bluetooth stereo headsets with WMP) ?? If so, has your experience with it been reliable (no skipping, etc)?

digitalscott33: UMTS is available throughout a wide portion of the Puget Sound area, but as far as I know only on the "Blue" (ATTWireless) side of the Cingular network. I've used it for several years on my notebook computer until recently with GREAT satisfaction, and find the "Orange" Edge side of the Cingular network *painful*. Since I don't expect much on a PDA when using the inet, Edge is okay so far for me. Of course, you can't get ATTWS UMTS data subscriptions anymore, only those grandfathered during the ATTWS purchase by Cingular can get replacement SIM cards and continue to use it. BTW, UMTS is available in a number of other US cities, inc Bay Area, San Diego, Houston, Dallas, NYC, and more.

Hi there

I have bought a TYTN in Copehegen airport, and the sales person has mistaken given me a Danish version of phone. I have no way to go back there anymore, and when I called the support service of HTC they say they can't help. Anybody know how could I change the language to English ?

Jackie

This phone is great for worldwide use (Japan/S.Korea's UMTS-2100 Network, Europe, USA with HSDPA, etc.), all of which works, but it's expensive and it's LOADED WITH BUGS. If it's worth spending this much money to have this capability, then I would suggest that it's a great choice; in fact, at the moment, it's really the only choice.

However, HTC's support is shockingly bad. For example, I had no response to very detailed e-mails detailing the specific software-related problems with this phone requesting solutions. I was glad to get an actual representative on the phone, but he was not well-versed with this particular phone. Plus there's also no good repair network in place that their support representatives are aware of, and their answer to the software bugs is to send the phone back to your wireless carrier for repair... Keep in mind, this phone is branded under HTC's name and is meant to be sold as an unlocked phone, not supported by your own wireless carrier. It certainly appears that HTC is ill-prepared for selling phones under their own brand name, because they're still expecting people to try sending the phone back to their own wireless carriers for repair, even when their own wireless carriers doesn't sell it!

Bugs with this phone include, but are not limited to:

1. Data calls cannot be reestablished if you go from roaming to home network, and the only way to fix is either turn it off and then back on, or enable flight mode and disable it again. This is especially bothersome in Southern California where Cingular users can still roam on T-Mobile's network, so if it jumps onto a T-Mobile tower and establishes a data call, as soon as it jumps back to Cingular it wont' be able to reestablish the connection. You'll just get a cryptic error message that states that it "Cannot connect to the network for an unknown reason". So if you use the "Direct Push" feature, you better look at your phone OFTEN, becuase the odds are that it lost the data call because it might have temporarily hopped onto a tower and was briefly "roaming", then switched back to your non-roaming tower only to not be able to reestablish the data connection. This doesn't seem to happen when switching from one roaming network to another (like SingTel to M1, etc., in Singapore), but it will happen when switching from your homem network to a roaming network and then back. It's a nightmare when I'm home because I live in Southern California (Los Angeles) and I use Cingular. But it works fine when I'm roaming elsewhere in the world.

2. The alignment on the touchscreen always becomes off and it must be re-aligned (read other forums -- VERY popular problem with this phone).

3. Try opening an e-mail in the Outbox (which hasn't been sent yet), then close it. If that message happens to have been sent while you had it opened, you will not be able to close it again until you fully power down the phone and then turn it back on.

4. There is no way to manually select or view a GSM Network code number in the network selection settings. This is especially frustrating if you are in Southern California for the reasons mentioned above.

There are various other software issues that I experience with the device, but they're less common than the above. And these are all software issues that HTC is not adequately releasing updates for.

Otherwise, putting these issues aside, the phone is very good for international roaming, as it's really the only device out there that lets you use the same phone and SIM card in Japan, Europe and the USA on a UMTS network.

Hey - Can anyone comment on whether the phone has HSDPA? I live in Dallas which is one of the few cities that is supposed to have HSDPA. All the ads state it has UMTS/HSDPA capability. When you look at the detailed specs, there seems to be no HSDPA radio. Can someone comment? Dave?

Hi Dougtuckg,affirmative for voice dialing over Bluetooth headset on my Dopod 838 Pro (Asia version of HTC Hermes/TyTn), when the BT headset voice button is pressed, it will trigger the voice commander on the 838pro and you say 'digit dial, call 'contact' at work/mobile, find 'contact' and even read sms to you and launch application. Not sure abt Hermes/Tytn at your side of the world preloaded with voice commander :)

Can anyone confirm if the "speed voice dial" that the TyTN come with works with the button on bluetooth headsets? Or, if one were to use the speakerphone in a car (assuming a dashboard mount), would you be able to use the device "hands-free" (ie. the microphone is able to pick up at a distance of a couple feet in a car, etc). Its important that I can dial in the car without looking at the device. I have a Moto Q now (I know, its a smartphone and not a ppc phone) and it has, in my opinion, the best Voice Dial software I have used in any phone to date.

Nice unit, but check out the problems with the early units.
Also, since they have BT 2.0 w/o EDR that limits the connect speed to 1.0 Mbps(3.0 Mbps W/ EDR). If connected to HSDPA on Cingular (3.6 Mbps) that limits the connect speed between TyTN and Laptop on BT.

Ira

I'm curious about the battery time, especially if you're using 3G and/or WLAN a lot? I'm also wondering if anyone has been using bluetooth headphones?

The TyTN does have A2DP....a simple search on Google would tell you straightaway.

Apparently there may be a screen alignment issue with the TyTns ? check out : http://www.toppocket.net/blog/pocket-pc/problems-with-tytn/

Hi,

Can anyone confirm, if I work on Wi-Fi simultanously, while the call is going ON in GSM??

I heard if we use Wi-Fi, then the GSM will not work at the same time...

Please TyTN users, could u please comment on this.

There is another good review written by a tytn user at http://www.toppocket.net/detail/254/htc-tytn-review.html

I have had my TyTN for a week now and am generally pleased--despite some indifferent sync experiences with Mac OSX. However, I noticed that the data speed was low, after all the hype about broadband speeds. On checking with my service provider, Vodafone UK, I am told that there are various types of HSDPA protocols and that they do not--and are unlikely to in the future--support the protocols used in the HTC TyTN. They are quite specific about this and it seems that everything is a lot more complicated than the advertising material would have us believe.

I just bought a Cingular 8125 and love it. The phone signal strength is not as strong as previous phones. Does the HTC TyTN have a stronger signal strength than the 8125? Should I return it and purchase a HTC TyTN instead? I have 10 days left to make my decision. Any comments would be welcome. Thanks!

Profiles:
Are there "profiles" on this device?

I'm not sure "profile" is the correct word to describe this feature/function. In hope of increasing my chances of making myself understood, I will give an example:

You create 3 "profiles" on your device.

You decide to name one of them "meeting".
When this profile is active the sound-signal from incoming phone calls, reminders in the calendar etc. are shut of.

"Indoors" is the name of your second "profile".
When this profile is active sound-signals are set on a low volume.

"Outdoors" would be the name of the third profile.
Sound-signals are set on a high volume.

More settings can be incorporated into the “profiles”:
Different time until incoming call is transferred to answering machine.
Different versions of answering machine message.
Different settings for signal when e-mail is received.
Etc.

So, is this possible on TyTN?
As far as I know it is NOT possible on HTC Wizard / I-mate / K-Jam / Qtek 9100 / Prodigy?

How is the battery life?

OK, now an update on my TyTN UMTS lacking. I have used another SIM that has a distorted 3G on the back of it, and POOF! UMTS! Test results from dslreports.com speed tests show a proven increase from about 70-100Kb/sec on GPRS to 700-1100Kb/sec on UMTS. On WiFi at home with an 8Mb connection, dslreports.com speed tests only produced 1100Kb/sec, so there may be another limitation in the device for processing that data. Even if it is...it can't get any faster. Tweaks anyone?

djac965930,
The CPU speed is 400Mhz. The model is a HERM200. It can handle video with no problems that I have run into. I haven't used Orb or Slingbox, but I have synced it with my Windows Media Center 2005 PC and the video is flawless. (for those of you not familiar with Windows MCE, it records TV, stores videos and music, and other media related tasks with a friendly TV interface)

aramin98,
I haven't used Skype on it since I don't know anyone else that uses it and I'm too cheap to pay for the Skype Out service. I can tell there is a big difference in speed using Wifi (compared to my Wizard) which could be attributed to the increased CPU speed and architechture.

zivr,
If you are referring to the speaker built in to the TyTN, it's LOUD and has almost no distortion at high volumes. The only tiny downside is that it's on the back of the phone. If you set it on a table while using it as a speakerphone or playing music, the table amplifies it. My Wizard (Cingular 8125) has speakers on the sides of it which made it easier to hear if you were holding the phone in any direction. The TyTN speaker is very usable and I'm not disappointed with it in any way.

On a side note, I haven't been able to get a UMTS signal at all so I can't vouch for the speed of it. UMTS was the #1 reason that I went from an HTC Wizard to the Hermes. Anyone know of a UMTS area in the Seattle area?

Did any one tried the Tytn Speakers?

A very nice stack of phones that you have there. I can say that I am like most wh say that about the only thing missing is GPS,and that is not so much a bad thing considering that with either wifi or UTMS one can quickly find out where they are and where they are going.

If I were working, and not so attached to my Treo 650, I just might have a new phone in the TyTN.

digitalscott33 thanks for your input as you continue to explore your unit.
I am also interested in knowing the processor speed (300 or 400). Pls post your experience if and when you use it with Skype and WiFi. Clearly you are on the leading edge and all will benefit from your findings and work arounds.

Would you be able to give some feedback on how video performs on the TyTN (or whatever name it will eventually go under over here in the UK). I use a SE K750 to watch videos on the train and aside from the small screen, it performs really well. Maybe some feedback on video formats performance and how it works with the Orb system?

Also, what processor is actually going to ship with the TyTN? Reviews on the web give mixed messages between 300 and 400mhz - or will there be two models?

Well, I just got mine today! Woot! For those that are familiar with the HTC Wizard such as the Cingular 8125 - you will be happy. Since I have one with the final ROM, here are my observations:

1. Cellular signal aquisition is slower. I almost thought I had a bad phone. It took almost 10 minutes the first time. Soft reset it and it takes roughly 2-3 minutes for a signal. Signal is (3-4 bars in Seattle) strong when it comes up.

2. I got a 1 GB MicroSD card with it and it didn't seem to work in the devices. After making sure it works in my computer in a card reader, I placed it in the TyTN and soft reset it. It works! Take it out and put it back in and it's not recognized until you soft reset it.

The above two "issues" are minor to me, but still not like the Wizard was for the same (or similar) items. Both will probably be fixed in a future ROM.

It's fast and I can't wait to find an area around here that has UMTS so I can do some speed tests on it. I did get a UMTS signal for a bit, but it dropped back to GPRS/GSM after a minute.

Oh, and for those wondering, here's the version of the ROM:

ROM version: 1.18.255.3
ROM date: 05/30/06
Radio version: 1.03.03.10
Protocol version: 32.34.7010.01H
ExtROM version: 1.18.255.105

OS version: 5.1.195 (Build 14955.2.3.0)

Looks like AKU 2.3!

Sure you can use it with Skype.. Wifi would be your best bet.

Can you use this phone for VOIP? I was thinking of skype because they have video. Great Review. I've been looking for a phone for six months and read many of the reviews. I just may buy this phone!

thanks for the help

jdubb,

Plug in your sim and away you go (for voice that is).

For data (email and internet connectivity), you will need to set that yourself. You can follow the directions on Cingular's site for the 8125.

HTH!

It looks like the only one that will be sold now is the HTC branded model. The Qteck and i-Mate models have been pulled from what I heard from a couple resellers.

Hey Dave. I saw in the video the phone you were using was on cingular.I plan on buying a HTC TyTN but I need to know how to hook it up to my existing cingular plan? I already have a cingular phone. Any suggestions.

Thanks Digital.. I am hoping ot get into a UMTS area and see if it works.. Thanks for the kind words! It wouldnt be a community without the team and people like yourself.

Sweeeet. I have one on pre-order right now to replace my Wizard. I agree on the review containing the final ROM. Have you used the phone in the main Puget Sound area to see if UMTS works there (even though your TyTN is preproduction)? I live on the south end of Puget Sound and work just south of downtown Seattle so I was hoping that I would get UMTS in some areas since Seattle was one of the first areas that Cingular deployed it in. Even if it isn't fully deployed, as long as I have voice and Edge, I can wait.

Nice work over the years! I've been visiting your site daily since the Dave's Compaq Ipaq days....my how times have changed!

No I am not able to get UMTS... UMTS is soo small currently with CIngular. Also the Cingular signal has been good my problem more is with AKU2 where you get that "Waiting for Network" and you have three bars... I am really enjoying this unit for sure. On the review question, I am under no NDA whatsoever I dont want to review something that has a dated ROM and not the final release. I wanted to make this more of a get to know the TyTN.

Nice work, Dave! Where's the rest of the review? Is it hidden behind your NDA with HTC or the reseller? You mention that Cingular and T-Mobile don't "work very well" at your house. Is that all phones, or a confirmation that the signal strength suffers with the TyTN - agreeing with the rumors? Were you able to get a UMTS signal? If so, how was well did it perform? I know you have an engineering model, but come on now....give us more than "here is how big it is and these are the buttons on it".

The video was very well done. I especailly liked the detail that you took to look at all of the various software features. Thanks, Dave!

Very nice pictures, good job david

my first shipment on the way, i will START SHIPPING THIS WEEK
its TyTN 869.99 USD
WWW.SMART-MOBILE-GADGETS.COM

Thanks alot Chris.. Expansys is definitely a premier partner and getting a good size shipment!

Great Chris! Remember you can still apply most of the WM5 optimizations (in tips and tricks) to "fine-tune" your new speed demon.

well i followed the link and ordered mine, should have it first week of august

Great podcast Dave! I would really like to get one...

The show is great, thanks for giving me a preview.

What company delivered the package?. Noticed it was left out in the open, hardly safe for a Ł600 device (roughly $1000)

Thanks for the video, Dave. Did they happen to include any telephony software to be used with the vid cam? I'm eager to see what's in store for video conferencing.

Great video review. Your collection of phones is nice too.

RHoppas,

The Treo is practically the same thickness as the K-JAM. Supposedly the TyTN is a microfraction thinner than the K-JAM.

Great video review Dave! Thanks for taking the time to go through the pre-production software. Looks like this unit really is one of the best GSM converged devices that will come out to date!

Wow, Dave, that stack picture is cool. There aren't too many people who could come up with a picture like that. The 8125 and the TyTn look quite thick in that picture. However, it would be nice if my Treo didn't have the antenna on the outside.

if only it had built in GPS, I'd be all over it

Correct and I will show that in my video today.

My guess is the battery cover......Dave?

What does the "lock" switch on the bottom contol?

I have been looking at this phone in the UK too as it is the first to support HSDPA over here. Not much use now but in the summer when the service kicks off I could be browsing the net at 1.4mb rate instead of the normal 384k that 3G offers

I like the stack dave! Very nice!

*drool* Wow, Dave, do you keep these cradled in a shrine-like formation?

Chris,

Don't jump the gun just yet. There's going to be a couple of versions of this device just like the Wizard.

It would be worth waiting for to see the various flavors of this device.

Yeah this looks cool i am probably going to order this would love to know how fast it is opening apps and also is the click wheel a true wheel with select when you press it in.

Nice "teaser" pics. Can't wait for the video review!

Can you also give us a real-world comparison to the Wizard 200 (T-Mobile MDA) as far as dimensions? I keep seeing too many different specs on the web, even from HTC.

Nice device!

Sure Jerry I will be doing a video too! Just charging now,.

I haven't been able to get an answer to the question to whether the device has a2dp built in. If so, can you post a pic of the bt pairing screen showing the stereo profile?

Thanks.