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How Smart Is the AT&T Tilt Phone?
AT&T Tilt Phone courtesy AT&T
I've already established that I'm what I'd like to call "not exactly tech-savvy" or, in evangelical religious terms, tech behind. That's why I'm probably the only one in America without a smart phone. Mine's not even a dumb phone. Let's put it this way: When I was having trouble with it and brought it to the AT&T repair shop to get it fixed, they started laughing. Not only did they not make this phone anymore but they didn't even know how to fix it. Nice.
Did I mention that I've never really used a PDA? (I was given one once but never used it, so I'm not sure that counts.)
So, when my colleagues started buzzing about the (then impending) AT&T Tilt phone the other week, I was intrigued. And, when it arrived in stores last week and in a colleague's office here, I was even more intrigued.
THE SCOOP Billed as the most feature-packed smart device available in the United States — how Donald Trump does that sound? — this is the first AT&T-enabled Windows Mobile 6 smart device. (The blognoscenti — aka the guys in my office — tell me that this is a huge deal.) I love that it has wi-fi, Bluetooth, a 3.0 megapixel camera, and the newest TeleNav GPS navigation (but that one will cost you extra). Also, this phone can read Office 2007 document formats. Plus, it runs on AT&T's fast, fast, fast 3G system. Then there's also a microcard SD card memory expansion slot in there. Now, I don't know what exactly that means or how to use it, but I'm told that is very important and has something to do with video. I'm going to figure that out in a future column and write about it.
On the frivolous side, it has games, video (more on this later) and mobile music.
THE DESIGN This isn't the most stylish, or feminine, device — it's really kind of geeky and male in its appeal — but I feel like in this case its substance over style, and that's OK with me. There's a QWERTY keyboard that slides back, and the screen, at 2.8 inches, sits up at an angle. Sound familiar? (Think laptop.)
WORKING IT As previously stated, I'm clueless. Let's just say it took me 15 minutes to figure out how to put the battery in before my colleague Dave had to come over and show me. But once I got past that obstacle, it was pretty simple to use.
The QWERTY keyboard is easy and any idiot — even me!— can use the stylus to touch things on the screen. Bonus: There are some touch functions, too, just in case I lose the stylus.
THE VIDEO When it comes to watching TV on the phone, there are some good points to the Tilt. It offers both MobiTV and its own CV (Cingular video), which has video clips such as segments from TV shows, as well as music, sports, weather, you name it. You can also subscribe to premium services like HBO. The MobiTV offers sports on 99 channels, such as ESPN, NBC and Bravo. The programming was kind of random, though, like when you turn on USA it doesn't match the USA that's on my regular TV, and a bunch of the stations just gave clips. It reminded me of the TV options offered on airplanes. Not my dream, but a great start.
THE COLORS Comes in just one: silver and black.
PAINS Heavy. For ladies, especially those who are already carrying everything and their dogs — literally — in their purse, this thing isn't light. It weighs 6.6 ounces — think of it as a little bit smaller than a small bottle of water. But when you consider that the Tilt acts a lot like a computer, you could be saving yourself some shoulder strain from carrying around both a phone and a computer.
Other things: You can only use Internet Explorer and it's not as good for checking out websites as Safari is. So don't plan on seeing the full version of the site. Battery life is supposedly none too good — I understand that it's just a few hours.
BUYING AT&T TILT VS. THE iPHONE Succinctly put by my boss Paul: "No way am I getting an iPhone. 1) Doesn't work with Exchange servers, so no work e-mail. 2) Only works on AT&T's 2G (slow) network. 3) No external keyboard (deal-breaker for me). 4) No way to install third-party programs or tweak the settings. Yick." Well said. (Or written.)
THE PRICE $300 with a two-year contract
CROWBARS (to the wallet?) Four out of five. I'd buy it. Not cute like the iPhone, but I like it. Plus, I'll look all techy the next time I'm in an airport. (Very important.)
— Caroline
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Oct 13, 2007 5:29 PM
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Interesting information. Always helps to know stuff like this for when I have to buy something new!
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Oct 13, 2007 9:15 PM
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How....cute.... A non-techie writing a Gadget Guide piece. Hmm.
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Oct 14, 2007 4:14 PM
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So funny, I asked Paul about the Tilt last week when I saw an article in the newspaper and he was all, "Mine's arriving tomorrow!" Now that I've spied him using it in meetings and such, it looks kinda sleek, but "the word" is that the phone-call quality is poor. But what I wouldn't give for a Windows Mobile 6 device that works with Blackberry!
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Oct 14, 2007 4:55 PM
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How....cute.... A non-techie writing a Gadget Guide piece. Hmm.
Yes, the same thought crossed my mind.
"Then there's also a microcard SD card memory expansion slot in there. Now, I don't know what exactly that means or how to use it, but I'm told that is very important and has something to do with video."
Hmm...awkward.
Isn't there someone a little "geekier" scurrying around the TVGuide offices somewhere?
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Oct 15, 2007 10:22 AM
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