Having lost my phone on today's ride I'm having to replace it. I already own a lot of Memory Map software, so I'm looking for a phone that will run it. Need camera too, pref a 'decent' one. Any suggestions?
I've an HTC Touch Cruise, othewise known as the O2 Xda Orbit 2.
However, I have the HTC as it comes without the network cr4p that O2 or any of the other networks install on these phones and reducing the amount of built in memory available. I'm running mine with a SanDisk 8Gb micro SD.
Pretty good phone, quite customize-able and with in-built GPS, runs MM a treat. Check out the other HTC phones too.
Its a good "all in one solution", it plays MP3, films (.WMVs and other formats) has a 3.2 Meg camera, video, its 3.5G allowing faster web access and can connect your laptop to the web too. It runs TomTom also and using the GPS chipset and NOT a data connection, so even when you're out of the range of the mobile phone networks, so long as you can pick up the Satelites, MM is fine. It has office apps on it too allowing you to create as well as read your excel, word, pdf files, etc.
Solo.
something from HTC. i'm typing this on a tytn 11 (t-mobile vario 3) builtin gps, wireless, qwerty keyboard etc etc. runs windows so everything works on it.
I had an HTC touch pro and hated it. Just really didn't get along with the Windows OS - very slow. Replaced it with a Nokia E71 which I'm liking a lit more - inbuilt GPS is great. I am using Viewranger which is an awesome bit of software. Don't know about compatibility with memory map as such, I guess they should be able to recommend which phones it works well with?
Thanks Folks- any more ideas?
Samsung Omnia, can't comment on it but a lad at work has one and he rates it highly and it runs on windows mobile so could handle memory maps no problem.
tested the omnia - not good for the bike, battery life with gps on - an hour max, plus when you hit a bump it will switch between modes, and the touch screen on maps has a mind of it's own.
also has some flash nokia, bit better - battery lasted a while longer, but it died (had a bunch of em, and there all dead now)
Hmmm, not looking too good then.
I've got a Vario III as well, and think it's excellent. The software you get on the phone (Windows Mobile 6.0) is really slow, it works better when you flash it to 6.1 or a beta of 6.5. Both are a lot faster, but 6.5 is a bit buggy at present. The upshot of 6.5 is that the camera finally starts working well, although it gets better if you get a decent 6.1 build.
And yeah, Memory Map runs on Windows Mobile 5.0 and upwards. Installation takes seconds, it's just copying the maps to SD card that takes an age.