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Upgrade from Artemis - is it worth it?

I am thinking of updating from an Artemis as I need a keyboard but I have some concerns:-
1. Is it worth it?
2. Does the t-mobile vario III have wireless disabled, like the Artemis did?
3. I am only 6 months into an 18month contract, so where is best to buy sim free in the UK?
4. Should I avoid the Kaiser from other vendors (e.g. orange) due to disabled features? I assume sim-unlock is easy.
Any other advice?
I have tried searching the Kaiser forum for t-mobile, wifi, wireless etc but can't find out for certain if t-mobile disable is.
Thanks.

I made upgrade from Artemis to Vario
Ad 1) MDA Vario III is great device and is much more better then (old good) Artemis - keyboard, GPS, big RAM and ROM .
Ad 2) Czech operator T-Mobile has Vario with WiFi enabled. Mda Compact III (cripled Artemis) is without wifi.

I have the Xda Orbit and AT&T Tilt right now and have been using both, and the Tilt/Kaiser is certainly better in performance, but if the size matters to you, the Artemis is still much better. in the pocket, the extra thickness and weight make a significant difference, as it does in the hand as well.
i like the wheel of the artemis, but my hands are always very dry (i use lots of lotion and can't really leave a fingerprint on things) so i can't barely grab the wheel, so the d-pad of the kaiser is good. i'd love the wheel if my fingers weren't so slippery.
i like the feel of the artemis' buttons a lot more, all the front keys, but especially the power button. its the best i've used of all my htc devices, while the kaiser(is the tilt different here?) has a very recessed button that's hard to push. i've had the magician and prophet with similar power buttons, but this one is much harder to get to. i don't need the keyboard, but its nice, and feels just like the herald's.
i only paid $380 for my kaiser, while i paid $525 for the artemis, which is fine, but i wouldn't pay +$700 for the kaiser since i feel they are equals for my purpose. kaiser is faster with a the left scroll and keyboard, but size matters a lot to me, so the artemis really nails it there. hope all that helps a bit, though i've wifi on both too

oh, sim unlock costs me $15usd on ebay. DO NOT USE NEWMOBILEFREEDOM. mufukas don't respond to my emails, but they leave retaliatory negative feedback real fast

Thanks for the responses.
Size isn't too much of an issue as I use a belt clip. Out of interest just how much bigger is it? I know I can check the specs, but they don't really mean much as it is hard to visualise.
I wanted to be sure that the kaiser had wifi if I bought the t-mobile one as their version of the Artemis had the Wifi chip removed.
The Artemis is a very good handset, but I really need a keyboard.
I was looking at buying a sim free from e-bay (or a t-mobile one) as I have another 12 months on my contract before I can upgrade. Looking to find the best place to buy if anyone knows of somewhere better in the UK.

size isn't that much different, just it feels feels different in the pocket. on the belt, there's not gonna be difference with the holster and all, but you should feel the weight difference a little bit. in my hand, its so obvious, but on a belt, should be negligible and you shouldn't concern yourself, as you aren't.
good luck finding the right one

Thanks,
Just saw one (brand new) go on e-bay for £295. Unfortunately I missed it, so better luck next time I hope.

I just (yesterday) upgraded from an Artemis (P3300) to a Kaiser (Tytn II), both HTC sim-free units.
Although I've only had my Kaiser for about 24 hours, I'm really impressed!
So far, I haven't come across a single problem with it that couldn't easily be fixed by looking on here (thanks everyone).
I liked my Artemis, but (so far) I LOVE my Kaiser.
I bought mine sim-free from SuperETrader (GBP421 including free next day shipping). Admittedly, it seems to be a South East Asia version (has Mapking instead of TomTom), but I've managed to register it with HTC ok, and I can live without the supplied TomTom since I already have it.
My advice is, if you can afford the upgrade, go for it - I don't think you'll regret it - I don't.

Thanks.
I think that's settled! I'm gonna try and get one. Just looking around, probably end up using e-bay though as I'm a tight Yorkshireman

Thinking of upgrading to the Kaiser

To Kaiser Owners
I am thinking of upgrading from my Artermis to a Kaiser so what do you boys and girls think of it and the tilt and slider will it last. Thanks for all in put
Chris

Hi cttransnb
I am more than happy to answer this one as I had the XDA Orbit (O2's version of the Artemis) for about 8 months. I loved the built in GPS and the compact size but having upgraded from an XDA2i which was much faster I always found that Orbit a bit lacking in the speed department.
I upgraded to the MDA Vario III in early October and after getting used to the extra weight (the Orbit was VERY light in comparison!) I haven't regretted the upgrade at all.
Everything seems to run quicker, the phone seems much more stable and the 3G and HSDPA allow me to do much faster mobile browsing!
The extra main memory is great and the best bit for me is being able to use a 6Gb card (the Orbit maxed out at 2Gb) so I have LOTS more room for Family Guy, Simpsons, Red Dwarf and American Dad videos and SO many MP3s I dont have enough time to listen to them all.
You also get the obvious bonus of a full QWERTY keyboard which is a relief after spending 8 months trying to hit small keys with the point of a stylus!!
I guess what I am saying is that the upgrade is totally worth it...
As for the tilt/slide lasting the distance, I guess time will tell. If you look after your gadgets then it should be fine.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
Cheers
Zippyioa

Is Diamond a good upgrade

Hi Guys
I'm thinking of upgrading my Polaris to a Diamond and just wondering if you guys are still happy with the Diamond and do ya think an upgrade from my Polaris is worth while.
The Diamond spec and looks seem brilliant but the only thing am a bit concerned about is the small 4gb memory it has, is this a problem or do you just learn to live with it.
Thanks
Tim

I never had a polaris, but this phone is brilliant, best phone available. IMO obviously. 4gb is LOTS of space. i have an ipod touch for all my music and video needs.

I am qualified to answer this one.... (hey, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while)
I've upgraded from an HTC P3600-> P3650->P3700. Each time the upgrade was better but I have to say when I upgraded to the Diamond, I love the phone but was sadly disappointed with it's speed.
Because of the processor, I thought I would get a faster phone.... it's terribly slow compared to the P3650.
In fact, I actually made a post this last Friday asking if there was any tweaking I could do to make it faster.
I ended up installing Duttythroy's new ROM and IT FLIES. All I can say is this phone now performs the way it should have from the factory.
I even did the #1 tweak on the top tweak list for the Diamond (a sticky) on top of his ROM and it seems even faster.
I hated clicking on the "people" tab and having to wait until my contact list would appear. I made that post Friday and if by tonight I hadn't been able to do something about it, I was going to put it on ebay and buy an iphone.
All I can say is I'm glad I installed the ROM. The memory usage is great, the 4g internal memory is plenty, the phone is slick and I really like it now.... by far the best phone I've owned.
You won't regret getting it.
Mark
PS. I sold my P3650 on ebay and got just shy of 500 bucks out of it.

I used the polaris for a short period and own quite a few WM smartphones over the last few years and I would definitely recommend the upgrade. Yes the tflo3d was somewhat sluggish before but now it's all changed. I am using bepes rom and it's as smooth as butter. The thing with diamond is, it keeps on getting better each day, thanks to xda dev and it's valuable contributers. As for the 4gb storage, I keep a lot of stuff in there (lots of apps, 100's of pics and mp3's and a few movies :s) and its only over half full.
Anyway find out all about the phone and decide if you want it or not. If possible try going to a store to test one out before you make up your mind. And oh yh, You will love the display, it's just too good.
Regards,
AF241

I don't even know what the Polaris is so can't say whether or not an upgrade is recommended but I came from the N95 and don't regret it a bit.
Some reasons to get a Diamond - High res screen perfect for browsing and films, a back button - very useful to backstep in any application, a Home button - Returns you to your Today screen instantly, a SCROLL WHEEL!!!! wow!!! zoom in and out of photos and web pages with ease and with reg files from here you can use it for your contacts and various other apps and the best thing about the Diamond... a great community here to help you with any issues and provide you with new apps/ROMS to try in the quest to find the best.

Yes... I've had my Diamond for 6 days now and it's the best Windows mobile phone I've had. Only downsides the good-looking but not customisable TF3D and the battery. However, with the extended one coming out (or out already?) it should be fine.
Go for it...

Thanks for the help guys I think am hooked now I just have to decide where to get one from.
T-Mobiles MDA Compact IV
O2 XDA Ignito (Out Soon)
Expansys HTC Diamond
Never bought a rebranded (MDA,XDA) PDA before so do you lose or gain anything with regards to hardware or software.
Software I’m not too bothered about as I’ll probably just upgrade my ROM from this forum anyway.
Thanks
Tim

Yes........

yes
you know it makes sence

Curious
I know that it's a bit off topic, but like the poster, I'm about to upgrade my phone.
And I've been using WM based devices for a looooong while, so I would like to keep using WM based phones.
Now apart from Diamond there are other phones out there with WM that came out recently.
Samsung Omnia i900
Toshiba Portege G810
Both use WM6.1 just like Diamond.
Now I don't know if there are any users here of the Samsung and Toshiba phones, but if there are...how would you compare Diamond with them?

Around threee months after the launch it still has many problems:
The interface is still slow.
The battery life is still poor.
The cover still collects fingerprints like a magnet.
The storage is still not upgradable.
... and it's still the BEST frikking phone on the market. If you're gonna upgrade, you really have no better choice.

Just a simple answer
Its the best upgrade

Kaiser upgrade to?

Ok well I think it might be time to upgrade from the Kaiser but I'm not sure just yet.
First of all my current phone is(my sig is not accurate):
ATT Tilt
HyperDragon 3 Opal ROM
1.71.09.01 radio
I am a power user on this thing and my number 1 problem is battery life. I cant make it half a day anymore nowhere close if I'm using the GPS or playing a game for a little bit. I know I could replace the battery(maybe with an extended run unit) but I think it might just be time to upgrade. This was one of the first ones on the market when they came out so its the longest I've had a phone in a few years.
The phone has seen a hardlife with some drops and such but it took the beating like a champ.
I still dont like that it is a bit laggy, has some freeze up issues, sometime the response to the keyboard is terrbile and only half of the message I type makes it to the screen(major pains as I am constantly email and texting), and the battery life.
I have been out of the scene for a while and am not on top of the new hotness so I figured I'd ask. I prefer a tactile keyboard(though I havnt tried any of the new touch screen only phones so I dont know what those keyboards are like), must sync with exchange. I use exchange and two pop accounts on my phone. a btter camera would be cool. Better battery life and overall smoother operation is a MUST! I'm hoping that with increased processing power the newer WM phone have improved but I jsut dont know.
I am not partial to HTC but so far they have proven the most reliable for me. The iphone is out of the question(even though I love the slick interface) because of a couple missing features.
I appreciate the help and recomendations.

hi,best way for you would be try most of them(htc),couse everyone has its own opinion.i got kaiser aswell,and i bought diamond few days ago,i felt like i was stuck somewhere in 90s with kaiser.

Same question last week
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=503407

Just replace your battery, there is an economic crisis out there incase you didn't know.

ChumleyEX said:
Just replace your battery, there is an economic crisis out there incase you didn't know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
someone has got to perk up the economy though I'm just going to put a new battery for the time being. I really like the Xperia X1 but I'm not sure its the right choice so I'll hold out a bit more. Wait till I can get my hands on one.

zjchaser said:
someone has got to perk up the economy though I'm just going to put a new battery for the time being. I really like the Xperia X1 but I'm not sure its the right choice so I'll hold out a bit more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can have a read up on the X1 here at XDA and you'll find it also has it's problems and limitations. A new battery (or two) is a sensible and cheap solution for the time being. When I'm out on long days of GPS/Video Playback and Internet Browsing, I always take my 2 spare (regular size) kaiser batteries and that does the trick as I've yet to get through 3 batteries in a day.

I just effectively ended the life of my Tilt as a phone... I lost my stylus and got lazy. I ended up trying to use a paper clip to push the soft reset button when I wanted to put the phone into bootloader. Well I pushed too hard and ended up damaging the microphone. Now the only way I see of using it as a phone is to find my Moto S9's. I will finally use the upgrade option to the Wing II (Rhodium) on T-Mobile as it is finally getting a new WM PDA that will work on 3G. I think my area of Texas is also supposed to get 3G around the same time that the Wing II comes out. So I suppose it was a sign from above that I should upgrade. It has been three years with T-Mo and I haven't asked for any upgrades so I think I should now. I am still going to keep the Tilt for the games, apps and other things.

The HTC options are questionable right now. I recently purchased a G1 & a Touch Pro: the G1's lack of mature applications and generally PITA bugs (you can't mount the phone AND the SD at the same time?....REALLY? What year is this?). The Touch Pro is faster than the Tilt and has an amazing amount of ram, G-sensor is nice, but packing 640x480 in the same 2.8" screen that the tilt has means that you will be unable to fully utilize that resolution: things are just too small. Also, if you're a tilt fan, you WILL miss the ability to tilt the screen. As the touch Diamond has the same small screen as the TP *and* cannot take microSD cards, I don't consider it a serious contender.
So there you have it: I have sold off both the G1 and the Touch Pro and am just keeping my tilt until the Touch Pro II comes out. On that note, there were over 400 G1's on ebay when I sold mine: seems I'm not alone in being fed up with it.

Upgrade from Kaiser to what?

Hi,
My contract is up so I now have the chance to upgrade my phone (I am also probably goig to move to Vodafone), but am not sure what to get.
The main things I like about the Kaiser are:
Email - although would love to be able to active sync with more than one account, but I guess that is a windows thing.
GPS - I use Google Maps and Memory Map a lot
Keyboard - it's nice to have a half decent keyboard to use. I prefer the Kaiser layout to one of the balckberry ones.
WiFi - although if I can get a decent 3G deal it would be less of an issue
I would like to have something with a better camera.
I don't actually mind going a little bigger if it provides a bigger screen - I used to have a universal so am used to a slightly bigger phone. I use it a lot in the car for satnav so a bigger screen helps here.
It would also be handy if I had a phone that would run a decent VoIP package over 3G when I am away from work so that I can pickup office calls.
So what would you suggest as an upgrade over the Kaiser?

I recently asked a similiar question.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=512979
I cannot find a phone from at&t that I like as much or more than the tilt. So I am just going to wait and see what comes out. I too would like a better camera and gps is a must. I thought of the iphone but now that at&t has killed access to the slingbox and the iphone doesnt allow tethering, I am staying away from it.
Let me know if you find anything.
Jim

Looking at the HTC website I quite like the HTC Touch Pro 2, but it doesn't seem to be out yet.

As a TP user I am very disappointed in its descendant. It is way too big and has lost the straight lines that made the TP/Diamond/Diamond2 beautiful. It looks a bit like a soap

Having had a Universal beforehand I don't think that the size should matter to me too much. Moving from the Kaiser the bigger screen will and a better keyboard would be a bonus.

Hi there...
"Offically" the Fuze is supposed to be the replacement for the Tilt.. But I personally am not a fan of it... The next one I want to get is the Touch Pro2 .. I saw someone else posted about it, and it is out now.. The only problem is the price is high.. but it should come down... It has everything the tilt has, but newer & better.. Stylewise, it looks more like the tilt.. It has the rounded cordners and very simmilar shape.. It also has the tilting screen... I did not realize how much I used that feature until I had to do without it for a while... The keyboard is nice... 5 row... and from what I seen is just about perfect... higher res screen...
If I could afford it, I would have this one already
Video Link below
http://video.google.com/videosearch...sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=7&ct=title#

Teej53214 said:
Hi there...
"Offically" the Fuze is supposed to be the replacement for the Tilt.. But I personally am not a fan of it... The next one I want to get is the Touch Pro2 .. I saw someone else posted about it, and it is out now.. The only problem is the price is high.. but it should come down... It has everything the tilt has, but newer & better.. Stylewise, it looks more like the tilt.. It has the rounded cordners and very simmilar shape.. It also has the tilting screen... I did not realize how much I used that feature until I had to do without it for a while... The keyboard is nice... 5 row... and from what I seen is just about perfect... higher res screen...
If I could afford it, I would have this one already
Video Link below
http://video.google.com/videosearch...sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=7&ct=title#
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. I had the Fuze and returned it. I am waiting for the Touch Pro2.

Try the Samsong Epix
I got a free replacement of my Tilt after only having it for 8 months. In that time I have had to swap it out !5! times and kept getting replacements that would work for only a month or so. I was offered any phone I wanted and I chose the Samsong Epix.
I seriously looked at the Fuse but I read too many complaints about it on this and many other forums.
These are the reasons I chose the Epix-
1. The Epix has ALL of the features that the Tilt has except the tilting keyboard. The screen is a bit smaller 320x320 -3/4 inch top to bottom but I am not missing that.
2. The Epix is the same overall size, half as thick and weighs 2oz less.
3. The Epix is WM 6.1 phone on the format of the Blackberies with a very usable keyboard at the bottom.
4. The Epix has a 1.8 amphour battery that will last three days using bluetooth, gps, and internet, and heavy phone calls.
5. The Epix has a Thumb Mouse that is just wonderful. I never have to use a stylus any more.
6. On the Epix I can easily adjust the volume of BT, speaker, ring and handset very loud as I don't hear well.
I am not here to bash the Tilt, I just got fed up with it crapping out every five to six weeks. My one year warranty will be up in a couple of months and AT&T told me that if the Tilt fails after that, I will have to pay full price for replacements.[no way in hell!!]