www.NJLanParty.com

Well I have made the leap and purchased a Cingluar 8125 Pocket PC. Had the opportunity to do it when I renewed my account, cost was $200.00 after $100.00 mail in rebate. In the first 24 hours of ownership I'm currently satisfied with the purchase, But...
I need to play with it more until I can give my opinions!


Specs
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz for enhanced global use
Windows Mobile 5.0
128MB ROM / 64MB SDRAM
TI OMAP 200MHz Processor
Integrated, sliding QWERTY keyboard
2.8" QVGA 320x240 64K Color LCD Touch Screen
Integrated Bluetooth Class II
Integrated 802.11b support
Integrated Mini-SD slot for greater storage and expansion
1.3 mega-pixel camera

I have the T-Mobile version of the phone. It is actually a HTC-Wizard. I recommend you check out the site http://www.xda-developers.com/. Often times there are radio roms and firmware updates available for the phones. I changed it on my T-Mobile phone and noticed the service nearly doubled. Also there is a mod to overclock the OMAP processor and also allow the phone to do 802.11g.

Also, Check out SiriusWM5 if you have a Sirius Satellite radio, it lets you listen to Satellite Radio through the cell phone's internet connection.

Quick question, why not the 8525? It supports 3G which is at least 3x faster then EDGE and allows for streaming video. Also the 8525 has a 400mhz OMAP instead of a 200MHZ. I believe it is $100 more but the future proofing factor makes that adjustment seem minimal.

coold8 wrote:Quick question, why not the 8525? It supports 3G which is at least 3x faster then EDGE and allows for streaming video. Also the 8525 has a 400mhz OMAP instead of a 200MHZ. I believe it is $100 more but the future proofing factor makes that adjustment seem minimal.

Well.. I'm not using the Cingular service for browsing or streaming video since I can't see the need with built in WiFi already. Since this is not my "work" phone but is my "consulting" phone. I can get my email as long as I find a hotspot, which are a dime a dozen with all the unsecure networks around and my clients have my cell phone number if they need me. The higher speed processor seemed pointless when all I'll be doing is reading email, surfing the web and barely watching streaming video. Word, Excel, and Powerpoint all run great and even the quake port runs great on it.

The 802.11 b wifi card is adequite and has a reg tweak to allow it to connect to 802.11 g access points. Its also good enough to run the usual sniffing software, network tools, and general wireless discovery tools that I need for my work.

But the bottom line is the price point.

I got the 8125 for 300 dollars with 1o0 dollars off if you sign a two year contract. The 8525 is $549.00 dollars with a 50 off if you sign a two year contract. Granted the rebates come in the form of a 100 dollar Visa card, which is slightly annoying.

CINGULAR pricing from online purchase and/or store purchase price for 8525 and 8125

8125 wrote: Price $499.99
2-yr Contract Price $349.99
Online Discount - $0.00
Mail-in Rebate - $100.00
*Your Price $249.99
Total Savings 28.57%
*2 yr contract-New service price

8525 wrote: Price $549.99
2-yr Contract Price $449.99
Mail-in Rebate - $50.00
*Your Price $399.99
Total Savings 11.11%
*2 yr contract-New service price

I got the store to drop the price from 249 overall to 199 since I had a price quote online of 198.99

Whether I purchased the 8525 or 8125 in two years I'll be looking for something else and be handing this off to my wife. So whats the point of spending the extra 200.

Ahh, I did not know that you did not use the EDGE service. I can see where you are coming from now. If I was in your position I would most likely do the same. Enjoy your new phone! Let me know if you have any questions as I have the T-Mobile branded version!