Need some advice for company mobiles

[Rilot]

For some reason, the job of selection of my companies new mobiles has fallen on my desk.

I have a number of requirements for 25 phones split in to two tiers and I want some advice as to what's hot and reliable out there right now.

Tier 1 - Power users
Exchange push of email, calendars and contacts, full document reading and creation capability, decent web browser, keyboard (or really good and useable touch screen keyboard)

The iPhone 3G fits this bill nicely but we are tied to Vodafone and so it's not an option. Unlocked ones are unavailable.
I have been thinking about the HTC Touch Pro but I'm still nervous about Windows Mobile and it's inherant instability. The Tytn2 is an option I guess (still with the same windows mobile issues) but is a bit long in the tooth now.

Tier 2 - Normal users
Exchange push of email, calendars and contacts, doesn't need a keyboard, primary use is as a telephone, needs good battery life.

I've been looking at some of the Nokia candybar phones for this. How is the exchange clients for them these days? Last time I looked the integration was terrible.

Any suggestions?

 

[DavidQ]

A lot of our senior staff have recently received their blackberry's. I don't know an awful lot about them but they're able to connect to exchange, WiFi, web browser and they have a full qwerty keyboard etc. They're not the most fashionable but they definately do the business!

 

[Rilot]

A lot of our senior staff have recently received their blackberry's. I don't know an awful lot about them but they're able to connect to exchange, WiFi, web browser and they have a full qwerty keyboard etc. They're not the most fashionable but they definately do the business!

They need a BES though don't they?
I dont want to invest in BES when Exchange can do what I want natively.

 

[Tunney]

Tier 1: Nokia E71? Ticks all of your boxes. MS Exchange isn't as nice as on a WM device but it's on par with the iPhone. The only real downside is that there's no Blackberry client available for it yet.

Tier 2: Nokia E51? It's the spiritual successor to the 6310i. Nothing fussy but it does the job well.

Both have got really good battery life and excellent build quality. Everyone at work is desperate for an E71.

 

[Rilot]

Thanks for the info Tunney.
The E71 looks good to me for sure and the E51 seems to fit the bill for the sales guys too.

Excellent. I'll get some test handsets and see what people make of them.