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T-Mobile Dash

Slim, Sleek and Powerful

I have been lucky enough to have my hands on the newly announced T-Mobile Dash Windows Mobile Smartphone for the past 8 weeks. This smartphone is definitely a Motorola Q killer. Sporting a 320-by-240-pixel display a 201 MHz OMAP850 processor from TI, 64 MB of RAM and 128 MB of ROM, Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE along with 802.11b/g.. During this overview I will go over the physical characteristics along with end user experiences.

The T-Mobile Dash by far is one of the best Windows Mobile devices I have ever used. HTC has done a fantastic job pushing the limits of a small form factor device. This baby offers almost everything anyone can ask for except HSDPA/UMTS but with the built in 802.11b/g users will like to "spy" on open networks throughout the airwaves. During my 7 weeks of use I have to say the battery life is by far the "BEST" I have ever used. You probably are asking "Well how can that be with a device that has 802.11?" Very easily.. HTC has done a fantastic job with the power management console on the Dash. HTC has finally found the "secret sauce" when it deals with the wireless card in the Dash. What they have done is created a control panel that will auto-power down the WiFi if it is not used for a set amount of time (user defined anywhere from 10 seconds all the way up to 20 minutes).. My personal power tests have been extremely positive in which I was able to run for a full day and a half. Yes.. a day and a half

My next task was the sound quality of the phone. This was unfortunately a big pet peeve of mine. The Dash supports a new feature called the JOGGR which is a touch sensitive panel on the right hand side. On the HTC Excalibur this feature supports full scrolling capabilities such as the blackberry. Unfortunately T-Mobile and HTC decided to utilize the JOGGR as a volume control. To me this is a big miss and according to HTC this was a joint decision between T-Mobile and HTC. I noticed that if you do not turn off the JOGGR you will accidentally adjust the volume while the phone is near your face, therefore forcing me to turn off JOGGR.. Maybe someone will eventually hack the HTC Excalibur ROM and extract the real JOGGR application.


T-Mobile Dash
Here you can see the beautiful keyboard along with the sleek design of the Dash. The unit fits perfectly in your hand and is very comfortable while talking on the phone

T-Mobile Dash
The screen does a very nice job in low lit along with indoor use. Unfortunately sunny days are very hard to view the screen..

T-Mobile Dash
I am not sure if this is a problem with my unit or a pre-production issue but as you can see the door doesn't fully close. You will also notice the JOGGR on the side of the unit.

T-Mobile Dash
This is where the USB charging/sync slot is. This slot also is where the audio jack is located which unfortunately is not a standard headphone jack.

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Post your comments
I need help on my T-Mobile Dash. It is a fantastic technology. I tried using the wifi and bluetooth, but they seem not to connect. The wifi recognises the available wifi network but it time I try to connect to a link on the internet it comes out that 'the remote party has ended this connection' How can I go to the setuo for the wifi to make the device functional? Please assist me. regarding the bluetooth when I set the device to add new device, it carry out the search and after, displays a message that there are no available device when the the other bluetooth are turned on. Please help me with the setup of my device bluetooth.
i have the solution for using joggr for scrolling and selecting purposes You should find a software called setjogbar.cab or writte to me and i will send you my mail is raymondescalante@gmail.com
Checkout www.theSmartFONE.com for the best (and free) apps/games/utilities for the T-mobile Dash!
Question: listening to music with bluetooth headset.

to do this you will need a program called btaudio just Google "btaudio.zip" it should be listed in the first link.

If you really want to unleash the dashes full potential get yourself a 2gig memory card and head on over to www.howardforums.com I love the dash,it is capable of doing everything a cell phone can do with the exception of the touchscreen option. once you unlock this phone(DIY & Free) OMG!
Question: listening to music with bluetooth headset.

My bluetooth headset works fine with Dash when I talk over the phone, but not when I listen to music. Music always comes out of the built-in speaker, and when I press the headset button, the sound only goes into the headset for 1/3 of a second and then it returns to speaker again. Any solution?
I have had a Dash for a few months and having Wi-Fi is a huge advantage! I just added this really cool music sharing application from www.CloudTrade.com, and having Wi-Fi enabled makes a HUGE difference in download/upload speed.
Is there anyway to have the text messege ringtone sent by individual contacts ring with the same custom ringtones they have saved when they call.
I am having the same problem as aztec with the sideways movies. Could it be a video size issue? Dash requires 320x240 is the new wmedia software 240x240?
Hi. I just installed 2 or 3 programs into my T-mobile Dash. Then I turned off, then on again. Now, my phone can't login to the main screen. It just stays at the T-mobile logo and I can't do anything but turn it off. How can I solve this problem? Thanks.
PS: I don't want to lose all my data in my cell phone.
Hi. I just installed 2 or 3 programs into my T-mobile Dash. Then I turned off, then on again. Now, my phone can't login to the main screen. It just stays at the T-mobile logo and I can't do anything but turn it off. How can I solve this problem? Thanks.
PS: I don't want to lose all my data in my cell phone.
Hi, i just got my Dash, and i'm having a problem. Whenever i want to watch a video, it shows it sideways, so i have to hold the phone sideways as well to watch them. Is there any thing i can do to change it, so that it shows in Full Screen the right way? BTW, i'm using Spb Mobile DVD to format my videos to my Dash. Can someone please help.
http://mobile.surrealnetworks.com/DashApps.htm

Look here for tested applications for the Dash/S620. Specifically, the Joggr CAB will do the registry hack for you, so you don't have to mess with the values (even though it is very simple). That will turn on the scroll & button functions. Also, there is Flash Lite 2.1 on this website.

There is also a CAB that will eliminate the Joggr call reject button.

One thing people should realize is the Tmobile Dash already has Flash installed, but hidden in the file structure. The MyFaves selector screen is a Flash .SWF file (My5.swf). I just haven't figured out where they hide the projector.

Another point of interest not on the site above are:

ORB - A free solution to sling box. Works very well.

Also, to whoever wrote that Tmob's service is lacking in the northeast--Last time I was in Vermont snowboarding, I was the only person with any signal (3 bars) while the Sprint & Verizon people couldn't get reception. I was surfing edge tethered to my laptop too. Tmob & Cingular have the best range because of 4 bands. It's the hardware that you had that most likely caused your signal loss. The Dash is a quad band phone.


TROUBLE WITH SYNC FUNCTION - Has anyone had difficulty getting the Dash to consistently sync with their computer using Outlook. Everytime I sync, the time on my phone increases by one hour and all of the appointments are one hour later than on my computer. I have set both the computer and the phone to central time but this keeps happening. T-Mobile tech support has been of absolutely no help. HELP!
i need some help here im new with the dash and about 5 times a day when i get i call while on the phone and try to click over it says call rejected. also where are all the sites to download music, programs and videos from my dash?????
Does anyone know if there is a flash player for the dash that I can download so that I can see certain web pages on the web?
Hi,
This one seems to be a great one, but I still do have a question :
What about today screen (or whatever it is called on windows mobile for smartphone) customisation?
On my current device (which a PPC) I'm using PocketBreeze so that I can see a large part of my agenda easily.
Are you found a similar program to use with the S620?
Is the lanscape orientation of the screen a limitation on this point (a portrait oriented screen can show around the 4 or 5 next appointement... ) ?

Regards,
Thomas.
Hello there,

Please feel free to read my personal review of HTC S620 :

http://mygadgetworld.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/htc-s620/

Best regards,

Leif
I wanted to see if I could help any of you. First of all I have a Dash. Have owned it for more the a month now and love it. (Actually 2) I was working in an attic and fell through the roof. I landed on my dash... not pretty, but I have another now.

I LOVE IT. The Volume control was a pain in my rump at first, it worked very poorly, and sometimes not at all. I did the Registry hack to make it a joggr and not only did it work 190 times better, but the in call volume control started working right aswell.??.. Explain that one.

I also changed the accidental call rejection on the joggr and not it just mutes the call. IT IS SUPER EASY TO DO. Get Mobile Registy Editor, it allows you to edit the registry from your any pc running ActiveSync.

With these 2 problems out of the way I think this phone is the best phone I have ever used. I have had multiple treos, hp's, etc and this one takes the prize.

The fact that is has no touch screen is not a problem. T-Mobile has done a really great job making this device very user friendly.

PS... Touchscreens tend to get in the way from time to time, and get annowing that I have to pull out my stlyus every time I need to do anything other then make a call.

Hope this helps.
For those of you who did pick up the Dash like me, I found the forum at forum.dashsmartzone.com to be very helpful for many tips/tricks.
I use an MDA. I would hate to go to a unit with no touch screen. In fact I find it hard to believe HTC would not put a touch screen on this unit, especially without a really good jogger.
This is old technology. Matthew Artero User Interface has a new top secret hand-operated-user interface that makes it possible for one hand to enter AND EDIT text in a cell phone faster than typing with two hands on a full size desktop keyboard. The same hand that holds the cell phone operates the interface so only one hand is required. The company states the cell phone will replace the desktop keyboard. When the qwerty keyboard hit the market it displaced the alphabetical keyboard and put over 50 typewriter companies out of business. This new interface holds the same threat for smartphones, PDAs, notebooks, ultra portables, and so on. Handheld and mobile devices that do not offer Mobile Users this new level of productivity will sit on store shelves remaining unsold, while manufacturers and service providers who are first to offer this new technology to Mobile Users will become market leaders. http://www.matthewarterouserinterface.com
Once I get my Dash within a month, I will post my findings. In the mean time, it looks awesome!!!
OK, I believe this is the phone that gets me to buy. Buy where is the question. I'm not available for upgrade with Cingular for 4 months. Should I bite the bullet or get one unlocked. Or switch to T Mobile. Thoughts anyone?
I have question on functionalities.
My wife uses Sidekick 2, and she is deaf. She depends on this like water. Sidekick is degrading to its death bed. My concern if I were to purchase this Tmobil Dash, it may not have all the features that my wife needs. Here are the criterias:

Side Kick 2\3:
1) Vibration alert for AIM, Email, and SMS
2) Pricing for Data only for $29.95 monthly
3) AIM\Email\SMS quick responses and coverages
4) Pictures

Questions for Tmobil Dash:
1) If Dash has vibration, how is the stregnth for deaf user to feel?
2) Does Dash offer data plan only?
3) How is the sms, email, and aim alerted to the user since Dash is more of pocket PC based?
4) positive of pictures: this can be saved to the sd card. sidekick, we have to email to her external emails then detele pictures from internal device to save space.
5) contact list can be sync with outlook, this is beautiful, with sidekick, you have to purchase software for the syncing online and does not always work.
6) This is Dash better than Sprint Treo 650?
**Ironically my son's name is Elijah Dash Forshay. So if we were to purchase this Dash, this will rhyme real well.
i found that AGILE MOBILE does have a version supported for the dash and the speed in which ims are sent and recieved are far superior to that of the oz powered messanger...
thanks alot... another question if i wanted to put AGILE MESSANGER for aim on the DASH will it be supported or is OZ the only software it is compatible with?
I dont think there is anyway you cant watch the flash videos on youtube with the dash.
ok so i just got the dash and i must say it is an awesome phone.. however upon going to you tube to watch videos i was told i need to update my flash player and i cant find the software to match for the device anyone have any advice ?>
Has anyone used the slingplayer mobile on this?
Good news, guys! Some clever individuals have figured out some registry hacks to bring the JOGGR back to life: http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1029394&page=1&pp=15
I wouldn't recommend running skype with a base TI OMAP. Even skype on a overclocked KJAM at 247mhz is not a great experience.
Will Skype run over WiFi on this? I feel like I've seen opposing statements about how well it will run with this processor. Thanks.
I have one of these ordered...I noticed you mentioned that your received yours unlocked. I am going overseas next week and sure would like it if this were the case. Do you know if this will be ther case on all? BTW...nice site!
The Dash-wm5 with no joggr.It makes me wounder if the blackberry needs a joggr or just stick wm5 in a blackberry with no joggr.Is anyone getting the point here.....Come on members.
Nice review. I admit that it is a good deal smaller than it initially looked in pics. Tis great to hear about the battery life as well. This honestly seems like a device that either Palm should have released as a Treo, or HP released as real successor to the 1900 series of PDAs. In either case, this should be a nice win for TMob and HTC.
I WANT ONE
jfl my unit was unlocked when it was sent to me....Edge works perfectly on it.....
This device is so Taguchi! (sorry, I couldn't resist bitter Braves fan that I am) Dave, if you're stll reading I'm curious as to the reception quality and EDGE speeds you got on Cingular's network? Did you get the device unlocked or find a way to unlock it? Phil, I'm tempted to wait for the gotcha too but I doubt there will be one based on other reviews I've seen. In fact, if Ryan Block, Sascha Segan, David Ciccone, AND JNGOLD think highly of this device, then I think we've got a winner. And if it sells well, maybe we'll soon see a bonafide Cingular version with HSDPA (Tmob exclusivity?) and maybe even a Dash II updated with Tmobs own unfortunately special flavor of HSDPA down the road. Of course, it remains to be seen how that will effect the stellar battery life.....
once upon a time the mobility today brass said the Moto,Q was the real deal,The future,The best ever used to find out the batt was wourthless.It was Q crazy hahaha but mobility today members must get ready.get T-mobile dash crazy.Hmmmm no joggr on the Dash,no touch screen.The Dash will be a Dot after a couple months.Throw it in your desk with the moto Q.
Dude, this this is the size of an iPaq 4150 which is indeed smaller and thinner than a 6900.
how can it be a 4.95 out of 5 when my 6965 has everything it has plus GPS and bigger screen? this is no slimmer than my 6965 given that the screen-width is still the same as my 3" screen width.

The only thing I like about the phone is the finishing but really that doesn't ensure one keep the phone for more than 6 months ;)

this is not for me, I would have gone for Nokia N61 over this if I have to ditch my 6965 for something else. Just as 6965 doesn't work for JNGold, this doesnt' work for me :D
terrific product... its a shame for those of us in the northeast that they have a weak coverage partner in t mobile. That only matters if you actually care about its ability to make and receive calls.
Oh and btw...there was not one Ipaq device to be found at HP's booth at Digital Life. Both Dave and I remarked about it. I think that says it all.
I don't have to own one to know what it's about.

A) I don't like the 6900 form factor. It feels very uncomfortable (wide) in my hands.
B) The 6900 is a device that should have been released over a year ago. Regardless of who's fault that is (Cingular or HP) I (and others) feel HP has most definately lost it's way. HP hasn't released an innovative device since the 4700.

Plus the fact that HP released the 6900 with barely a mention should tell you how HP feels about it's handheld market. Give me a break, the mobile traveler units got more attention and they're not even available in the US.

And no, the 6900 does nothing a KJAM can't do - with the exception of GPS which btw, I have no need for - I have a dedicated Tom Tom Go for that.

But hey, just because I think HP's products are uninspiring, doesn't mean everyone does.
Jerry, you knock the 6900 an awful lot without using one. you know I go back to the days of the original Cassiopeias with the keyboard. So I consider myself very knowledgeable on these devices. I can truly tell you that 6900 blows away your trusty K-Jam. And pleae remember that I had the MDA as well and loved it. If we ever have another NYCDAUG meeting, i'll let play around with it.
Looks like the nicest smartphone I have seen yet. This device would be great for those who have been using a traditional candy bar/clam shell style windows smart phone and getting frustrated with trying to be effective while messaging. I have a client that would love this.
The proprietary audio jack is frustrating. How is the quality of the earphones included ? Do you think that Radio Shack will sell an adapter so we can use our own earbuds with it ?
Oh...btw...HTC makes the 6900 too. You know what I feel about that device. LOL!
Spoken like a true and bitter Yankee fan.

Anyways, looks like a 750v will be next device anyways. :)
He only said that because it was made by HTC. If anyone else would of made it, you wouldn't like it. Even if it was theexact same device. LOL....
I couldn't believe my ears either everyone that Jerry was impressed with the Dash!
I had the opportunity to play around with Dave's device. All I can say is that I am impressed! For those of you that know me, I don't say that about too many devices. :)
My friend just got a Q, and I'm helping him set it up. I really like the look of these new QWERTY phones. I can't wait for one to come out with a touch screen...
"Nice review Dave, this was the first video review" so what is the link to the video review?

Ron
Dave,

Can you say something about the Keyboard? I have read in other reviews that it is not so optimal, amongst others due to the keys being placed so close together.

Nice review Dave, this was the first video review I have seen on this, and i am very impressed with it overall. I am looking forward to seeing it in the store in the nextr few days.
Dave: I have an HTC Excalibur test unit with the joggr working properly. If you can tell me how to extract the ROM, I'll do it. PM me. BTW, what apps have you been able to install so far? I have xBar & tweaks2k installed. But, mapopolis doesn't work properly. Sabesh.
LOL!!! I have to say NO.. I got it free at a trade show and thought it might work.. Funny how you noticed.
I see on the back of the Q you used a signal booster, do those things really work?
Bummer! Well, thanks for quick reply back. I was getting greedy. If I go with this puppy, I might try one of those key mapping programs that would let me "convert" a volume up/down command to a scroll up/down command. :-)

C'mon HTC! (or T-mo, whoever's to blame here)
As I stated prior the control panel only offers the user to set sensitivity of the Joggr. Nothing else. Sorry dude..
Yup--watched your vid. While you were navigating to the WiFi settings, there is a setting you scrolled past called "Volume Touch Strip." The screen shot on Engadget showed this Settings menu as having an item called "Applies To". The default selection was "System and In Call Volume." However, there are apparently other options for this setting. Do you know what they are?
Shaggerot did you watch our video? Joggr is only used for audio..
I hope your right Jerry and they change that function. Otherwise it looks like a pretty good device. It might be time to retire the iPAQ
A review posted this morning shows a screen where you can configure what the JOGGR (volume strip) is used for. However, I can't tell what the other options are. Link: http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/10/t-mobile-dash-review/

Do you have this option in your version?

Yes you are correct Jerry.
What a waste! I would have thought it could be used for scrolling and selecting. I would definately give HTC a piece of my mind for that oversight! I guarantee all it would take is a simple firmware update to change the functionality of that strip.

So, how is scrolling accomplished? D-pad?
Jerry unfortunately JOGGR only is used for volume. I have voiced my concern to HTC but unfortunately it is what it is..
This looks definitely cute and totally appealing - sorry to be so non-technical but it just does.
That is pretty sharp! I'll be up at the T-Mobile store checking that baby out the day it arrives!
That's a sharp looking device. You weren't kidding when you said it was like a 4150 (form factor-wise).

As for the JOGGR, aside from the problem of the phone volume, how did you find using it for scrolling and selecting purposes?

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