T-Mobile Wing Review - Conclusion
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Alfredo Padilla Published on June 05, 2007 Comment on this |
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Who's It For
Business User
Business users will like the functionality of the T-Mobile Wing and its excellent battery life, but we can't recommend it given the constant problems with lag that we encountered. Business users need their device to just work when they need it, and the Wing isn't that device.
Budget Callers
Budget callers will want to look elsewhere for a phone given the Wing's $300 price point. If you're looking for a smart phone from T-Mobile, you can pick up the Dash for half the price. Otherwise you can easily pick up a regular phone for under $50.
Chatty Teenager
The T-Mobile Wing might be a good choice for chatty teenagers who want a device that is similar to the sidekick in form factor but which provides much more functionality. You may even be able to convince your parents that the price is halfway reasonable, but we think the business features of the Wing are probably more than any teenager needs.
Media Maven
The T-Mobile Wing may be a good choice for a Media Maven. Windows Media player provides solid video and music playback, and even if you don't like it there are plenty of good third party alternatives available. The large screen is ideal for watching video as well. The only place where it falls down is in the camera department. Two megapixels may seem impressive, at least in the United States, however, the quality of the images is very poor. Proof again that megapixels actually tell you very little about the quality of a camera.
Conclusion
The T-Mobile Wing is a solid device that is marred by a couple of significant drawbacks. The biggest of these is the slow operation that constantly hampers the device. We found that operations on the Wing took several seconds longer on average than other Windows Mobile devices we have tested because the device took time to respond, the screen took time to update, etc. This lag is also in evidence every time you open the keyboard and the orientation of the display switches. The other major problem is the camera; while it is easy to use, the photos you take with it are just not up to snuff. Resolution, color, noise, you pick the test and the Wing performs badly.
Apart from these issues, we found a lot to like from the Wing. The slimmer form factor makes it more comfortable to hold in your hand, as does the soft touch finish. The large screen is great for watching video or browsing the web, and the slide out keyboard is comfortable and easy to use. We also appreciate the upgrades that come with Windows Mobile 6. There's nothing earthshaking, but the ability to (finally!) get HTML email on our device, and the small touches like a home screen plugin for Windows Media Player, and the addition of Windows Live applications are all things we like. And the battery life is amazing: 14 hours and 15 minutes of call time is the longest we've seen. Unfortunately, the issues with lag and poor camera performance keep us from recommending the Wing; the long battery life isn't much use if you have to sit there and wait while tryiong to access your contacts to make a call.
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