optimized living

After waiting patiently to upgrade my cell phone I pulled the trigger and purchased a T-Mobile SDA. Ended up buying it in a T-Mobile store since it was more convenient and their web site does not have it yet (http://www.t-mobile.com/promos/online/preregmdasda/).

When it came to price, my decision point was based on how long I wanted to renew my contract with T-Mobile. I’d been enjoying a month to month contract since I was out of contract about a year ago. Signing up for a new contract is never fun. It came down to the following:

1 year contract: $300 - $50 rebate = $250
2 year contract: $250 - $50 rebate = $200

Early termination fee for ending a contract is $200. My gut was to jump at the 2 year contract since I’ve been with T-Mobile that long in the past. But having a 2 year contract length really sucks, especially with the nice deals carriers will give you for signing up as a new customer and the fact that phone numbers can now be ported between carriers. So in the end I went with the 1 year contract and paid $50 to give myself additional flexibility in the future.

The SDA replaced my Samsung E105 that I’ve had for the last 2 years on the T-Mobile network. It’s served me really well but recently I noticed some of the features my friends and co-workers were making good use of on newer phones:

• Bluetooth. Yea, I know I’m a good couple years late on this one. It’s just not safe to be talking on a phone without a headset today. For a while I was really good about using my wired headset with the E105, but at some point it was just too cumbersome. I’ll be looking for a good bluetooth headset soon. Plus, cars are finally starting to have built in bluetooth which means you can simply throw your phone somewhere in your car and it will sync up with the in-car speaker and microphone system. Not that I have a car with bluetooth yet… Can you say purchases driving additional purchases.
• Calendar access. I meet with a lot of people throughout the day as a normal part of my job. My schedule is handled on a Microsoft Exchange server that allows us to co-ordinate meetings. Recently I’ve found myself having to open my laptop to find out where I need to be next. A phone with my regular Outlook calendar lets me stay on top of my schedule without always having my laptop with me.
• Usable email. The E105 had a way to get at your email, but with the screen size and interface it made it difficult to do anything useful. Plus the network it used (GPRS) is not the fastest thing in the world. Additionally I need access to multiple email accounts, at a minimum my work and personal mail.
• Internet. Lots of new services are popping up that allow you to use your mobile device to connect web sites to grab useful data. Google mobile is one example. Several times while on the road having a web browser would have really saved me a decent amount of time.

What drove me to the SDA was seeing a friend’s Cingular 2125. The screen was so clear and form factor was exactly what I was looking for– it was a phone primarily. The SDA is almost identical to the 2125, except it is on the T-Mobile network and has WiFi.

Basic overview of the T-Mobile SDA:

• Size/Dimensions. 4.5 x  1.8 x 0.7 inches, 3.74 oz.
• World Phone. Supports 850/900/1800/1900
• Display. 64k, 2.2 inches, 240 x 320 pixels
• 802.11b WiFi.

After using it for 2 weeks here are the positives, negatives, and points I’m still not decided on. 

Positives:

• Screen size and clarity. The crispness of the screen is unbelievable. Browsing a web site with decent pictures like CNN or ESPN really shows off the screen. Text is rendered perfectly and legibly. It almost seems better than my LCD monitor.
• Bluetooth. Now I can go out and get that wireless headset.
• Productivity. I now have access to my calendar, work email, personal email, and the web. Since my email volume is so high (it comes with the job), I’m now able to stay on top of my mail anywhere I need to. I send occassional mails, but the SDA is certainly not my primary email sending device. Plus, I always know where my next meeting is and can look something up quickly on the web.
• Phone first. It’s a phone! I wanted something that could stay in my pocket, not a bulky PDA device masquerading as a phone.
• EDGE and WiFi. Both Cingular and T-Mobile have introduced EDGE networks. These allow you to have higher download speeds when going over the cellular network. Plus in the case of the SDA I can jump on any T-Mobile WiFi network or other access points. Also, my data plan lets me hook my laptop up to all of the T-Mobile hotspots, which means every Starbucks.
• Smartphone. The SDA runs Windows Mobile 5.0 so there are lots of other applications you can add to your phone.
• Price. Now that I’ve added the T-Mobile Internet Add-on Plan I’m paying an additional $29.99 per month. This was directly offset by moving from a business plan to personal plan. So in the end I’m actually getting more minutes plus data for the same price I was previously paying per month. Not a bad move.

Negatives:

• Small size of buttons. It can sometimes be difficult to hit the exact button on the keypad. They’re just slightly too small. 
• Battery life. I’m getting about 24 hours out of a single charge. This is without using WiFi which will heavily drain your battery. Also, the case that T-Mobile provides does not help with battery lifte since it has a slight design flaw. It’s so tight that it presses keys which means your backlight comes on. So using the case is really out of the question. Of course I’ve just put a screen protector on and keep it in my pocket.
• Size. This is slightly larger than my E105. I’m willing to live with it given the functionality I gain, but when I asked my wife about getting her one she thought it was too big.

Things I’m undecided on: 

• Task switching. This device now has the ability to randomize me. I’ll need to be careful to avoid negative task switching which might take my focus away from the task at hand.
• Non flip phone. I’ve always been a fan of flip phones. Now I’m getting used to locking the keypad so that I’m not dialing random numbers.
• Obsolescence. Since I’m on the front of the technology wave now, am I committed to a technology too early so that it will become obsolete in under 2 years?

This was one of my initial steps towards being location independent. I can stay on top of my work almost anywhere now. While some may view the cost as high, I believe that it will help me do a better job at work and let me make better use of small snippets of time.

So how long do you keep your phone? What phone/carrier do you use? What aspects of it have made you feel most productive?