T-mobile Pulse - Android touch phone.

Super Tigers · 11 Oct 2009 at 19:53

I managed to have a little play with the new T-mobile Pulse Android touch screen phone in my local T-mobile shop today.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well it was made, not up to Iphone standard but felt solid. The buttons felt strong and solid to push, I tested the responsiveness of the touch screen and on the whole it was very good. The only problems I encountered was texting in landscape mode, the space bar was very close to the edge of the screen and often did not respond to touch, I have small fingers and all the other buttons responded well.
The phone was very responsive when opening applications and the screen scrolled smoothly.

The shop had only just got them in stock on Saturday and they could only sell on contract plans, they would be selling on payg for £179 in a couple of weeks time.

Even though I only had a short play with the phone but I was very impressed, the clarity of the screen was excellent, responsive to touch inputs, build quality was up to scratch. I can see this phone becoming very popular. If it had of been available on payg today, I would probably have shelled out the dosh for one.

Anyone else purchased one or had a play?

MeAnBoY · 12 Oct 2009 at 17:45

Read the review on Engadget and they were similiary impressed. It looks like a great entry level phone to bring Android more into the mainstream. I might pick one of these up for the missus for crimbo. Shame they didn't have them in my local T-Mobile shop when I went into town at the weekend.

OpenToSuggestions · 30 Oct 2009 at 15:07

I bought one this week.
I was on PAYG o2 and rang up T mobile and said the 1st year of a contracr is usually a rip off and what could they offer me.....

800mins
unlimited texts
unlimited internet with 1gb fair usage
18 months
free T mobile Pulse phone with 2gb memory card
£25 a month (is £40 a month on the website).

Needless to say I snapped their arm off.
It is a good phone. Works well and isn't a complete rip off like a certain phone from Apple.

smokedog · 30 Oct 2009 at 15:39

T-mobile have also launched a new PAYG tariff, unlimited text and Internet for a £10 top-up per month

Using the internet and texting won’t eat into the £10 top-up, so credit can be used to call friends and family. This market-leading monthly top up reward is open to any new customers connecting a pay as you go SIM card or buying a pay as you go phone from a T-Mobile store or online from t-mobile.co.uk, and topping up by £10 each month. Customers who joined the unlimited free texts for life reward will automatically receive free internet access as well as unlimited free texts, simply by continuing to top up by £10 every month.

OpenToSuggestions · 30 Oct 2009 at 15:56

Not bad, but with buying a phone that is £180 credit and £180 phone (over 18 months) working out at £360.

The contract works out at £450.

Super Tigers · 31 Oct 2009 at 18:41

I bought the phone 8 days ago from T-mob shop in Hull and on the whole I do like the phone and the whole Google/Android (linux kernal) experience. I bought it on PAYG and just stuck my contract sim card into the phone, setup all my email accounts and away it went. My only concerns are that registering keystrokes in portrait mode can be a bit hit and miss and sometimes the battery life is appalling.
Don't run 3G networks preference with Wifi on and your browser left open or you will zap the battery!! I managed to go from a full charge at midnight, no use overnight, then battery dead at 3.20pm!!
There are some useful apps on the market, I do like the BBC, NYtimes and Fox widgets, Twitdroid works very nicely and like having Accuweather back. Just need some more airport info apps!

Having used an iphone 2g for a year and loved it, the T-mobile is good competitor to the iphone, it isn't better, it isn't vastly worse, I suspect it will not be a big seller as the big names Samsung, HTC, Motorola are now bring out Android phones and these will attract the mainstream buyers. I suspect most people would think Huawei to be a poor Chinese phone maker, but they produce some serious communication and telecommunications equipment.

A good phone for people who can see beyond brand names.

OpenToSuggestions · 31 Oct 2009 at 18:50

It is a good phone. Yes the iphone is better, but then iphones cost nearly double.
I do agree that the touch screen is a bit hit and miss but it is mainly hit.

Are you fining some applications don't work? (I am assuming this is because they are made for android, when the Pulse wasn't yet released).

Super Tigers · 31 Oct 2009 at 19:07

I was having some problems entering url s in Opera, was I could not get the virtual keyboard to go off the screen but then I found out you had to press the menu button and then select the tick to have the URL selected and then the keyboard minimised again.
Not the best way, but it works.
The Fox widget sometimes shows an error but manages to sort itself out eventually. I am quite pleased with the phone and I think it will grow on me even more.
I love to listen to online radio stations, my usual phone, Nokia E71 streams music so well having Nokia internet radio, Realplayer. The Pulse doesn't support as many codecs but I have managed to get m.moodio.fm to stream all of the channels I want at 32kbps rate so it I am quite happy at the moment.

doublehelix2 · 1 Nov 2009 at 17:14

How does the screen size feel going from one to the other and internet browsing? I'm scared of switching from big screen to a small one and regretting it.

Super Tigers · 1 Nov 2009 at 18:16

doublehelix2 said:
How does the screen size feel going from one to the other and internet browsing? I'm scared of switching from big screen to a small one and regretting it.

What size screen are using at the moment? The Pulse is a 3.5in touch and is fine for browsing and reading emails on.

doublehelix2 · 1 Nov 2009 at 18:59

Super Tigers said:
What size screen are using at the moment? The Pulse is a 3.5in touch and is fine for browsing and reading emails on.

I meant when you switch from the e71 to the pulse, how significant is the diff? (Didn't explain myself very clearly before

)

Super Tigers · 1 Nov 2009 at 20:51

The E71 is a good screen, I use Opera and Skyfire Browsers and it works well, but the 3.5in screen on the Pulse is lovely to look at and is just as good as the Iphone.
Browsing experience on the Pulse is better but doesn't support Flash yet, where as the E71 is smaller but has good zoom features, better codec support and a vastly better battery life.

If the Pulse had the battery life of the E71, flash support and better codecs it would be absolutely superb and would be better than the Iphone. Android is good and it has a rosy future ahead of it, but Iphone and Apple will hold the high ground for sometime yet.

xb8browney · 2 Nov 2009 at 08:15

smokedog said:
T-mobile have also launched a new PAYG tariff, unlimited text and Internet for a £10 top-up per month

I cant find that deal.

lmfy2k · 1 Dec 2009 at 20:15

T-Mobile drops price of Pulse to £137

http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobile-phones/phones/pay-as-you-go/t-mobile/pulse-payg/overview/

:eek:

molinari · 2 Dec 2009 at 10:01

lmfy2k said:
T-Mobile drops price of Pulse to £137

I am so tempted to get this on PAYG as a go between phone from my N95 until a new HTC Android handset comes out.

Janesy B · 2 Dec 2009 at 11:54

Can someone confirm that specs of this phone? This is a VERY tempting stop gap.

Mobius 1 · 2 Dec 2009 at 11:56

wow. can i use this phone on another network maybe?

lmfy2k · 2 Dec 2009 at 12:35

Janesy B said:
Can someone confirm that specs of this phone? This is a VERY tempting stop gap.

Review: http://mobile.engadget.com/2009/10/09/t-mobile-pulse-review/

Spec:
* Android 1.5 'cupcake'
* 528MHz Qualcomm Processor
* Quad Band EDGE, Dual Band HSDPA
* 3.5" HVGA Capacitive Screen
* 3.1 Megapixel Camera
* WiFi
* GPS
* Bluetooth
* Tilt Sensor
* Digital Compass
* microSD Expansion
* microUSB
* 1500mAh Battery
* 62.5 x 116 x 13.6 millimetres
* 135g

lmfy2k · 2 Dec 2009 at 12:35

-Tauren- said:
wow. can i use this phone on another network maybe?

yep but you will need to get it unlocked.

Janesy B · 2 Dec 2009 at 12:59

lmfy2k said:
Review: http://mobile.engadget.com/2009/10/09/t-mobile-pulse-review/

Spec:
* Android 1.5 'cupcake'
* 528MHz Qualcomm Processor
* Quad Band EDGE, Dual Band HSDPA
* 3.5" HVGA Capacitive Screen
* 3.1 Megapixel Camera
* WiFi
* GPS
* Bluetooth
* Tilt Sensor
* Digital Compass
* microSD Expansion
* microUSB
* 1500mAh Battery
* 62.5 x 116 x 13.6 millimetres
* 135g

Too late, bought it already

I had a good play with one and I was very impressed.

EDIT

Been playing around for a while and it's brilliant. I'm really impressed with it, I'll do a mini write up later.