vB Easy Archive - SMT 5600 vs. 6620

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SMT 5600 vs. 6620
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Posted by: gyasih

I love the 6620, but I'm very interested in the 5600, which is better?

Also, can I use pocket pc software, if not where would I get apps and games from?

How easy are the Audiovox phones to unlock?

Thanks for the help!

Posted by: iJITSU

I have both, and I'm trying to get the 5600 unlocked.

Which is better?

Size: 5600
screen: 6620
design: 5600 (subjective)
memory expansion: wash (secure vs. higher mb available)
software: a wash for me. I've been able to find all I need for both
OS: I give the nod to Series 60 for day to day use but both are OK

At this point, if I can find someone to unlock the 5600 that's the route I'm going. If not, it's down to the 6620 and mpx 220. I have a 220 also, but haven't had the chance to play with it yet.

You can get software for the 5600 at smartphone.net and handango, but it's specific to MS Smartphone, not Pocket PC (Windows Mobile).

Posted by: TEXMudder

I have had both these phones in the last 30 days. Size wise of course the 5600 wins hands down. For me I was looking for something that sync'd with outlook for work. The 5600 is awesome and I havent found anything wrong with it.

Posted by: leighj

I owned a 6620 for about 1 week recently. Liked the Symbian interface - powerful yet simple.

However, when the SMT5600 came out I decided to try that out for a few weeks.

I've owned PPC's for a while so the interface was 2nd hand to me. I think new users to WM2003 will think the interface less "efficient" than 6620.

Direct comparisons:
1. Size - 5600 is clearly smaller - I like candybar style phones so both work for me. My previous phone was a SE T68i so 5600 was closer dimensionally.
2. Case - the 5600 included a nice belt case which was great since I usually don't like to pay extra $$ for a case.
3. BT config
>>both worked w/ my Prius (although neither showed the on-screen signal strength on my Prius like my t68i use to)
>>6620 did not work w/ my Jabra 200 - the 5600 does
>>BT connectivity to my ipaq 4155 worked flawlessly on my 6620 but couldn't connect w/ 5600 (ironic huh?) - this is probably due to 6620 having the BT file exchange protocol (while 5600 only has handsfree, serial & dial-up modem)
4. Reception - 6620 is easily winner. 5600 isn't bad but had some rough spots along the highway while 6620 did not
5. 5600 comes w/ stereo headset - which is v. nice!
6. Memory expansion - 6620 comes w/ 16MB (I think) MMC while 5600 has no included miniSD (which is my preference since I'd prefer to have case than knowing I'd need a larger memory card anyway).
7. Battery life - I think there was a flaw in my 6620 (which was why I returned it in first place) because battery life would drain rapidly even with no apps running (drains in 1 day). 5600 is ok - wouldn't expect to go 2 full days w/o recharging since it doubles as a pda & phone.
8. Screen quality - 6620 is brighter but nice to have extra few pixels of resolution on 5600 for video watching (Betaplayer all the way)
9. USB cable - don't know about 6620 but 5600 sync cable also doubles as charger - v. nice!
10. Thumbstick (6620) vs. 4 way rocker (5600) - I preferred latter - the thumbstick always felt a little fragile to me. Neither is great for game playing - 5600 doesn't recognize multiple button presses & 6620 doesn't do diagonals
11. Software availability - both about the same - sparse!
12. Calling plans (ATT) - 6620 allows you to keep your present calling plan (for me that was important since I was on a shared minutes plan w/ my wife). 5600 requires you to "upgrade" to pda phone plan (new phone plan - no sharing phone minutes & new data plan). That was main reason keeping me away from 5600 since $30-40/month extra for a new plan for my wife vs. $10 was a little steep for what 5600 had to offer.

I was fully prepared to stay w/ 6620 because of pt.12 - but after talking to ATT salesperson - decided to purchase the 5600 at full retail (no rebates but more importantly allows me to stay w/ present shared phone plan).

Both phones are excellent although I prefer the 5600.

Posted by: gyasih

Thanks for the comparison. I have the 5600 and apps for both are hard to find, but saw more for the 6620.

Posted by: leighj

One other thing - when using Ogg Player or Real Player on the 6620, one nice thing is audio can also output through BT headset.

Unfortunately for 5600, looks like BT headset only works for calls not for other things.

Audio quality is not great through BT headset, but when working out it does reduce likelihood of tangled wires & hence flying phone equipment...

I don't know if this limitation is platform or equipment based. I think my old ipaq 1945 was the only PPC that was able to channel audio to the BT headset (after playing w/ some registry values) - not sure if one would have to do something similar on 5600?

Posted by: RazrFan

I really dont understand how people say the 6620 has a better or as good screen as the 5600. There is no comparison. The 5600 is far better. Besides having a better resolution, its also alot bigger. This is one reason I decided against the 6620, I think the screen is way to small.

Posted by: aristoBrat

Quote:

Originally posted by leighj
Audio quality is not great through BT headset, but when working out it does reduce likelihood of tangled wires & hence flying phone equipment...

Yeah, I was going to say -- no stereo -- yuck! Might as well play the MP3s thru the speakerphone.

Posted by: iJITSU

Quote:

Originally posted by RazrFan
I really dont understand how people say the 6620 has a better or as good screen as the 5600. There is no comparison. The 5600 is far better. Besides having a better resolution, its also alot bigger. This is one reason I decided against the 6620, I think the screen is way to small.

the 6620 I have had a brighter screen than the 5600 I had. This may not be the case for all because brightness and tint will vary from phone to phone even in the same model. Resolution is 176x220 for the 5600 and 176x208 for the 6620. Screen size I believe is 2.2" diagonal for the 5600 and 2.1" for the 6620. Not much difference, but the 5600 looks much bigger because it has less casing surrounding the screen.

The biggest difference I've found between the 2 phones is that I find the Series 60 UI to be of a higher caliber, and I find the build/construction quality of the 5600 to be of higher caliber. Regardless, as soon as the 5600 can be unlocked I'll probably go with it because of WMP10 and the form factor/build quality.

Posted by: TEXMudder

The 5600 does NOT require a special data plan and CAN be on a shared account. I had to call two stores, but the second one put the 5600 on my shared plan with no questions. I have the cheap silver nokia for the wife and the 5600 for me on a normal shared plan.

Posted by: Its_Smee

Quote:

Originally posted by TEXMudder
The 5600 does NOT require a special data plan and CAN be on a shared account. I had to call two stores, but the second one put the 5600 on my shared plan with no questions. I have the cheap silver nokia for the wife and the 5600 for me on a normal shared plan.

I was told this also, but for some reason my order was canceled? Possibly because I did an upgrade like 3 months ago, oh well. I did my order via the web I will call tomorrow and see whats up.

Posted by: Blazers4ever

Quote:

Originally posted by leighj
11. Software availability - both about the same - sparse!

Sparse?? There are hundreds of apps available for Series 60.

Posted by: AaronT

Agreed.

See my post in this thread for a large collection of free and commercial software for Symbian/Series 60 phones.

Being the dominant smartphone operating system means that it has a lot of people developing software for it.

Posted by: Drait

Quote:

Originally posted by Its_Smee
I was told this also, but for some reason my order was canceled? Possibly because I did an upgrade like 3 months ago, oh well. I did my order via the web I will call tomorrow and see whats up.

I think the key to getting the 5600 on a shared plan with no data is to get your shared account setup first, and then do a handset upgrade. Not sure if you can do this via the website.

I just went to an AWS store and let the retail folks hook it all up. Much easier than dealing with NBO CS and have them ×××××'nmoan about it needing a separate voice and data plan from the rest of my phones.

Posted by: leighj

Revisiting this discussion again. I've owned my SMT5600 for 3 weeks & got alot more "miles" on it.

I'm actually considering going back to the 6620 for a number of reasons - can someone help me decide...

Cons for switching to 6620:
1. Size - form factor on SMT is just so much nicer than 6620.

2. Case - nice to have an included case

3. Software availability - I'm specifically looking for a Lotus Notes (email/calendar) sync software for 6620. On PPC's & SMT5600 - Commontime's mNotes is best but looks like the Symbian OS version is still "coming soon." Anyone know of others that work on Series 60?

4. All my WMA files are rendered useless

5. Battery life on SMT appears to be better than 6620

Pros for switching to 6620:
1. Edge - just got the unlimited data plan & can't see myself surfing w/o edge

2. Overall reception is much better on 6620

Thanks!

Posted by: aristoBrat

Are you going to be tethering or just surfing from the phone?

Posted by: leighj

Quote:

Originally posted by aristoBrat
Are you going to be tethering or just surfing from the phone?

I'm surfing on the phone (using Opera on 6620 & the built-in explorer on SMT5600).

Coincidentally, put my SIM in a coworker's 6620 & was watching a video demo via RealPlayer link. Tried to do the same on my smt5600 via the Windows Media link in the browser. The SMT felt like I was watching a slideshow while the 6620 was a little rough but definitely more video & less slideshow.

I guess that's the Edge difference!

Posted by: aristoBrat

Yeah, I'd guess EDGE would give video/audio a nice boost. LOL

You've got a tough call to make!

I'd love to have EDGE, but personally couldn't handle any phone that didn't easily sync my calendar, tasks, and contacts like the 5600 does -- as well as having a home screen that shows you everything that's going on.

Posted by: leighj

Well, went ahead and swapped out my 5600 for 6620 (again).

Plus:
Immediately was impressed w/ Edge speeds! Was out of town over weekend using my 5600 & it was painful loading up websites - slower than dial-up speeds.

Yesterday I picked up 6620 - & what a difference (particularly w/ the new version of Opera installed)! Definitely faster than dial-up probably in 80-100kbps range.

Minus:
However, that elation was coupled w/ disappointment - Real player on 6620 does not stream audio!

One of nice things about 5600 is that Windows Media streaming works quite nicely - ie. I can go to website like:
http://www.live-radio.net/info.shtml

and click on radio link like BBC World Service (.asf) which starts streaming the radio station - albeit w/ pauses while buffering due to bandwidth of GPRS.

With 6620 - Real player says it doesn't support that format (ie. .ram link).

I guess AT&T wanted us to purchase extra $8/month MobiTV to get video streaming.

Minus:
Edge seems to really consume battery life - much more than 5600. Down to about 2 bars of battery life with less than 1 day of usage. At least on the 5600, I could get through 1 day & recharge at night. Larger battery life on 5600 probably increases that differential.

Minus:
Size & case - for me these went hand-in-hand. 5600 not only was smaller but inclusion of a case meant there didn't have to be a lump in my pocket.

Minus:
Ease of use & syncing w/ PC:
The Symbian OS is overhyped, imho. I am more than happy w/ Microsoft Smartphone. This coupled w/ poor Nokia PC sync'ing really is a disappointment. I liked Microsoft's shorthand keys you could press (like pressing "d" or 3 in file manager to delete files as well as dialing a contact from home page by spelling out name (without needing to press contacts button). One press mute/unmute button was also nicer than 6620 which required pressing options then selecting mute.

Anyway, in summary, it's really too bad none of the existing MS Smartphones have Edge as this is a major strength of Nokia's 6620.

For me I think there is strong likelihood I may switch back to MS smartphone design - assuming the 5600 does not get discontinued by Cingular in near future.

If 6620 is most up-to-date Symbian OS that Nokia has to offer, I strongly feel Micrsoft is in really good shape to make in-roads in Smartphone market.

I have a sinking suspicion that I will "need" to upgrade my phone in another 6 months (my last phone - t68i - had a 2 year operating life - still runs fine even!).

Posted by: craigg

I own both these phones and with that being said, the most important feature is RF quality. In this area the Nokia is far and away the clear winner. The Nokia has the larger screen, more included memory, and the Edge speeds make the Audiovox look real bad. The only feature that I see that the Audiovox offers that the Nokia doesn't is turn by turn directions via gps navigation. In this area Windows Smartphone has the advantage. Other than that the Nokia wins. Most of us buy phones to make calls. To me this is the most important feature. I don't care what games or silly cams they build into the phone if the call quality is crap then the phone is worthless.

Posted by: leighj

Agree w/ craigg - 6620 has better gsm range than 5600 - albeit not as big a difference as craigg is indicating. In San Jose, CA - most of the time reception is good on both phones but there are those instances that I would "almost" lose a connection on 5600. The 6620 is also a little erratic in those areas but slightly more stable.

Posted by: edvisor

One thing to also consider is the operating system you are using. I had the SMT5600 (Great Phone) but ended up with the awsome Nokia 6620.

I have an Apple Powermac and I would have to by too many third party apps in order to sync my address book and transfer files with the 5600.

If your using Windows, you shouldn't have any problems transfering themes, games pictures ext with any of these two phones...

I picked the Nokia 6620,

Posted by: aristoBrat

Quote:

Originally posted by craigg
I own both these phones and with that being said, the most important feature is RF quality. In this area the Nokia is far and away the clear winner.

Wow, you must have some really lousy coverage where you live!

My work/home are both in weak RF areas (-107 dBm is the norm) and the SMT 5600 hangs on to calls/sounds as good as my Nokia 3650 does... No way I could characterize the SMT 5600 as having crappy call quality.

The 6620 must be something special if it's doing a lot better RF-wise than the 3650.

Posted by: leighj

While I think RF strength is of key importance to phones in general. I think the bigger reason why many of us are attracted to smartphones is its other capabilities.

The Windows Mobile environment allows for more customization than the Symbian OS (with the ability to change registry values etc) & that probably explains why I've felt like being put in a strait jacket when I went from a 5600 to 6620.

Posted by: craigg

Coverage at my house can be pretty bad and while I can make calls with the SMT 5600 they are not as clear as with the Nokia. I really do like the Smartphone operating system. I plan on ordering the MPX220 soon just to see how it works. I have never been a big fan of bar phones but can't put down the Nokia as it works so well. This is not to say that the SMT 5600 is bad at all, it just is not as good as the Nokia!

Quote:

Originally posted by aristoBrat
Wow, you must have some really lousy coverage where you live!

My work/home are both in weak RF areas (-107 dBm is the norm) and the SMT 5600 hangs on to calls/sounds as good as my Nokia 3650 does... No way I could characterize the SMT 5600 as having crappy call quality.

The 6620 must be something special if it's doing a lot better RF-wise than the 3650.

Posted by: kwr

i decided getting both (for my self smt5600, wife 6620). Anyone of you using either one at ny&northern nj area? how's the rf?

thank you very much.

Posted by: craigg

I have found the RF quality of my MPX220 to be excellent. I think the Nokia 6620 is still a little better, with the MPX220 coming in a close second, and the Smt5600 behind that.

Quote:

Originally posted by kwr
i decided getting both (for my self smt5600, wife 6620). Anyone of you using either one at ny&northern nj area? how's the rf?

thank you very much.