T-Mobile Dash Review
Posted on Nov 22, 06 02:46 AM PDT
I had the opportunity to use the T-mobile Dash –also known as HTC S620- for half a day and I have to say that I liked what I saw. First, the device is cute and feels great in my hand. It is half the thickness of my gigantic Treo 700w and weighs much less too. Finally, there’s no antenna to poke me (oh man, I hate this antenna) and the display is a nice 320x240 (QVGA) one, versus 240x240 for the Treo 700w.
The closest device that I played with is the Motorola Q (read review) with the notable difference that the Q has a faster data connection (as it is a 3G phone), while the Dash is a 2.5G one. The user interface is similar: there’s no touch screen. I did not go deep in the option menus, but while I was using it, I did not notice anything fundamentally different from the Q. The T-Mobile Dash user interface is sensibly more reactive than the Q. I got my friend Kevin to setup his personal email (accessed over GPRS) and his professional email (via WiFi) in outlook.
The part that was worrying me was the battery life, but after a work day of good use, the battery still had 30% left in the evening. It’s a good sign, but it means that advanced (email) users will have to charge it at least everyday. Heavy users (web browsing, email) would need to charge it all the time. Reader comments would be welcomed om this subject.
Should you go for the 2.5G T-Mobile Dash or the 3G Motorola Q?
If you just want to read/send emails, go for the Dash. It has a better feel than the Q and T-Mobile’s mobile internet is a little bit cheaper -and slower- than Verizon’s data plan, but it’s good enough for email. The Dash also has WiFi, but I personally think that WiFi should not be relied upon – did you notice that there is never a decent hotspot when you *really* need one? Still, for the same price, WiFi is painfully missing on the Q. If you’re a heavy data user, I’d recommend skipping both these phones and grab a Treo 700w. It’s old, bulkier but it’s still the best 3G smart phone that I’ve tested.
Thanks to Kevin M. for loaning his phone.
Useful links:
T-Mobile Dash
HTC Home
Update (26 Nov 06): I received a number of questions and I wanted to share the answers with everyone here:
Does it crash a lot?
No I have not experienced any crash or slowdown. However I played with it only one afternoon. I frankly don’t think that recent Windows Mobile devices have stability issues, especially if users don’t install additional software.
Does it have Push Email?
Yes, but “true push email” works only if you have an exchange server. I don’t know if a T-mobile email account provides true push email.
How wide is the thing?
It’s the witdh of my Treo 700w, but half the thickness. I really like the feel of holding the Dash.
Is it strange to use as a phone?
A Qwerty phone is always different so if you never used one, it might be strange at first. If you used a Treo or any other Qwerty device before, you will feel at home.
What about Skype? Is there Skype for smart phones?
There's Skype for windows mobile. I tried it only on my Treo. It works, but is somewhat slow (looks like a CPU hog). I didn't try it on the T-mobile Dash. I suspect that the slow (200Mhz) CPU and the 2.5G data rate would make using Skype difficult, but I don’t know for sure.
Have you tried the WiFi and did it worked well?
WiFi was tested and, yes it works well. No issues there.
Was the keyboard too cramped?
It’s comparable to the Treo or the Motorola Q, although the Treo 700w has the best keyboard in my opinion.
Screen size is ok?
The display is really nice and readable. I’d try to use even smaller fonts.
No jog dial?
Unfortunately, no. It would have been a nice addition. I’m not so bumped by the lack of jog, but for Blackberry users, it’s probably like having a missing finger…
Was it easy to navigate the menu using the joystick?
It is, but I noticed that it’s too easy to click (OK) while trying to go up and down. The joystick button is too flat.
Ubergizmo on your mobile device: ubergizmo.mobi
Your Comments
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Legacy Comments
By BigTo , 06/07/08 9:08 PM (CommentID #766619)
You probably have only had it for a few months. Wait till it you hit the year mark! It will go dead on you! Battery problems I have read it over and over!
By bubbles , 14/06/08 12:36 PM (CommentID #725435)
My dash will only stay on for a few minutes and the shut off , I wll have to take the battery out and put it back in for the phone to come back on again, but then it will cut off again a few minutes later .
By pierre , 13/06/08 6:22 PM (CommentID #724198)
I had a minor problem with my dash, i added too many 3rd party programs to it.The device would turn on and just recycle and turn off. I called tmobile tech support and was walked thru a "hard reset". when that is done, make sure you have all data backed up on your pc so when you sync, it is placed back on the phone.
By Claudia , 05/06/08 9:13 AM (CommentID #712924)
How did you send TMobile your FCC Complanint number?
By IMANI , 02/06/08 9:23 PM (CommentID #709759)
HOW MANY FRIENDS ON AIM DOES THIS PHONE HOLD???
By Robyn , 29/05/08 8:50 AM (CommentID #703466)
Hey,
I got my Dash about 3 weeks ago, and when i try turning it on it freezes. Any suggestions?
By Ryan , 27/05/08 2:32 PM (CommentID #700846)
how do you put videos on the darn thing ? its all so confusing
By LaughingTooHard , 16/05/08 12:22 PM (CommentID #681068)
I've had my Dash for about 20 months. It has crashed (usually my fault), needs to be rebooted once a week if you have lots of 3rd party apps and games, battery life is so-so BUT it is durable beyond compare. Twice it has gone swimming (totally submerged) and both times it survived after being dried out using denatured alcohol. Screen is perfect, Vista support for internet sharing is amazing, T-Mobile had WM6 update for it before anyone else, keys are still like day 1 and the wired headset cannot be beat. Yes, I would like a faster processor, a better internet connection and a larger battery but no phone at this size can compare with features, functionality and price. Three people I know personally got one after seeing mine and two switch carriers. Now that is proof enough it is a great Windows Mobile phone.
By MAD AS HECK , 14/05/08 4:08 PM (CommentID #677060)
I WANT MY MONEY BACK , MY DASH WONT TURN ON !!!!!!!!!! IM SO MAD ALL MY INFO IS IN IT !!!!!!! T-MOBILE WONT EVEN DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT !!!! THANKS FOR NOTHING
By jadilyn , 14/05/08 4:55 AM (CommentID #675972)
can you pls help me how to adjust the camera settings of my mobile dash everytime i used the cam the picture became blured with shadows in it..thnx
By tiff , 04/05/08 10:49 PM (CommentID #663741)
i need help i just got my dash phone a couple months ago and it wont turn on well it will but it keeps going right back off then right back on what to do
By Takira , 10/04/08 8:37 AM (CommentID #622375)
Just brought the DASH havent received it yet but I hope I have great luck with it. After reading all of the posts I am alittle worried!!
By Mike , 08/04/08 12:06 PM (CommentID #617831)
Do not purchase the Dash. If you do have this phone the only things that I have seen help are getting an overclock program (don't go over 300Mhz) and putting all of your files on a microSD card (frees up the system memory).
By cadillackid , 06/04/08 9:05 PM (CommentID #614867)
I have had my dash for 8 months. At first the only problem was the occassional freeze up. I figured it was because I had two many programs running. Lastnight my screen broke, I pulled the phone out of my pocket and saw that the lcd under the outer casing had cracked. I never dropped it. I went to Tmobile and they told me that it wouldnt be covered under the manufacturer's warranty cuz it wasnt a manufacturer's issue. THat is crap because I called tmobile and they said there was an issue with the lcd screen braking due to a problem with one of the brackets. I got tossed around from tmobile to the insurance company, all in all I was transfered 8 times and spent an hour on the phone. This is definitely an issue with a bad LCD screen and it is happening to a lot of people. I refuse to pay the $110 deductible and I have a plan to get a phone for free. Don't give into the cell phone companies they make so much money and take advantage of so many people. Will keep you updated.
By clipinski06 , 02/04/08 11:19 AM (CommentID #605908)
three months ago i got rid of my sidekick id and got the dash. i love it. where i didnt get service with my sidekick i do with the dash! wifi works great and i get it almost everywhere. no screen problems, actually no problems at all. best phone i have ever had! my boyfriends has the blackberry pearl and asks if we can trade phones everyday bc he likes mine so much and the pearl is a good phone as far as he has had it!!
By Paul R , 25/03/08 1:06 AM (CommentID #585403)
wow. i cannot believe all the negative comments about the dash. i have had mine now for about 5 months and i love it. i have installed tcpmp and watch movies on my dash and the picture is crystal clear and the sound is great. mp3 play great on it through my bluetooth headset and i love how light and tiny it is. i have multiple microsd 2gb flash memory cards for my music and movies and its really fun. i use it all the time for email and Instanst Messaging friends and i am writing this review on it right now. if you research the dash and all it can do, you will not be disappointed. i love it.
By md , 19/03/08 10:34 AM (CommentID #569139)
The Dash could be a great phone for business users -- phone works great, email, calendar, contacts, and todos sync to outlook very nicely.
The "could" in the above statement is due to the horrible battery life on this device. I can barely get 9 hours of battery life out of the phone. This is with about 60 minutes of talk time throughout the day and (mostly) inbound emails to the phone. Be prepared to have a charger at work and at home if you get this phone.
By Zack , 16/03/08 10:37 PM (CommentID #562174)
i purchased my dash on ebay and had some similar problems. i figured it was because i got it from ebay but after reading these it seems the dash just sucks...i recently broke my ebay one and they said i was eligible for an upgrade so i just bought another dash because i did not have insurance. if this phone starts acting up as my other one did i will be VERY ANGRY. recently my dash started just losing service and say searching and then connect to "home service" and it would have full bars but good for nothing. no texting, calling, internet, nothing..that is the most annoying thing....if this dash fails me i may just give tmobile the finger pay my 200 or whatever to cancel early and go to ATT for an iphone or something
By sean , 16/03/08 5:59 PM (CommentID #561648)
i have owned 6 dashes in a year and 4 months. the screen continually breaks. i do everything on my phone, so it handicapps me when im taking notes in class. they need to do something
By Jj , 11/03/08 2:29 AM (CommentID #548147)
It seems that ALOT of people are having problems with the lcd screen. I watched mine break while it was sitting on my table. One day after buyers remorse period of coarse. T-Mobile considers this normal wear and tear but its the number one complaint. I Bought it 15 days ago and now I have to pay $110 deductable for the same phone with the same problems! WTF!
Has anyone found a solution to getting at T-Mobile about this? The negative reviews far outway the positive. This product is faulty. I am about to contact the FCC and complain...
DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE
even better, stay away from t-mobile
By Anonymous , 27/02/08 1:13 PM (CommentID #515724)
I'm having the same issuse with mine. I just bought a new battery today! So your saying that's not going to fix my problem?
By Dash User , 25/02/08 3:14 PM (CommentID #511406)
The T-Mobile Dash... there aren't words enough to complain! I bought this phone about a month ago, it was all good till a week later. I wasn't able to change the profile, or go into the sounds folder (change the ring tone, alert noise...etc.) I chalked it up as a setting I had accidentally changed and did the MASTER reboot. Which I lost all my pictures, sounds, etc. So after that it was all good, till a week later. Same exact thing. Profile won't change, sounds won't change. Very bothersome. So I called T-Mobile, they told me they would send me a new Dash and to just reboot it until then. I received my new Dash, and there is another set of problems. This time almost every time I send an SMS text it either starts calling the contact I'm sending the SMS text to, or gives me and option to add a country code for a long distance call. Very annoying. Most times, you don't want to call people every few minutes. I'm planning on calling T-mobile once again tonight to see what they have to offer me. I'm NOT taking another Dash. They better upgrade me to a better phone that actually WORKS.
By toezilla , 24/02/08 6:36 PM (CommentID #509281)
wifi on the dash will work on any signal ie: your wireless router etc., however oiu have to pay to connect to tmoile hotspots like starbucks etc.
By toezilla , 24/02/08 6:08 PM (CommentID #509202)
you must turn on beaming in the comm manager. you also have to set bluetooth visibility to "on"
By ChRiiSTiiAn , 12/01/08 2:04 PM (CommentID #427341)
you guys are just tripin me and my mom both are enjoying our dashes and have no problem with it we would defenitly recommend this phone
By Hubert , 20/12/07 11:23 PM (CommentID #400107)
Aj, why don't you like T-mobile? It might help others to know.
By Parth , 14/12/07 2:16 PM (CommentID #393854)
Jason, can you please let me know how you got yourself to your free pearl? and should I try to call at all before I file a complaint with the FCC?
By Katie , 11/12/07 8:26 AM (CommentID #390859)
I am in the same boat!! my phone is a sidekick and they are upgrading me to the dash b/c of all the issues my sidekick has. I am also going to school full time and the sidekick is just a joke. Let me know how the dash is working
By Chris , 03/12/07 11:04 PM (CommentID #383564)
I bought my dash in March 07. After having it for three months, the screen turned completely white. The phone was on and I could here the sounds as I pressed buttons, but nothing on the screen but white light. I called T-Mobile and they sent me a replacement dash. After having the second dash after another three months, the phone would go in and out of service. The reception bars were all full but I had no reception. All my calls would go straight to voicemail. And I could not log on to the internet or get emails. After calling T-Mobile to see if I had somehow messed up a setting, they told me that I should reboot the phone at least once a day. I hated doing that because the dash takes 5 minutes to reboot. After that didn't fix the problem, T-Mobile said that it might be the SIM card. I got a new SIM card and that did not fix the problem. I know it was not the SIM card because I put the SIM card in my Razor and it worked fine. I once again called T-Mobile and told them it wasn't the SIM card, and now they say that there was a cell tower that was down in my area. I new this wasn't the problem because the same thing was happening at work. Since September I was going back and forth with T-Mobile as they would always come up with a reason why it was not working. Last week they sent me a third replacement and guess what, SAME DAMN PROBLEM!!!!. I finally got so frustrated with T-Mobile and complained to a "supervisor" that I paid $250 for a phone that does not work and I am paying for unlimited email and internet that I can't use because of the phone. The supervisor asked if I wanted another Dash. I said NOOOOOOOO!!!!! I received THREE Dsahes that do not work. The phone SUCKS. T-Mobile agreed to send me a Blackberry 8700. I have had the phone now for 5 days and have had absolutely no problems with email, internet, or phone calls. Besides, with the Blackberry my emails are received in realtime, unlike the Dash where you have to manually send/recieve emails (or set it up to auto send/reciev every five minutes). The Dash is a good looking phone with a great camera, but what good is the camera on a phone if you can't make any calls or receive your emails. I think the Dash sucks and T-Mobile knows it. After all the bull crap excuses they gave me, my Blackberry works perfectly fine, waaayyyy better then the Dash ever did. My true advice from experience - DO NOT BUY THE DASH, IT REALLY SUCKS!!!
By ignacio , 30/11/07 8:50 AM (CommentID #380491)
i hate my stupid dash. i have it since may and it is the worse phone i ever had. i called customer service so many times that i finally gave up. i guess i have 9 more month to go until i can have another upgrade. i should go back to blackberry!
By Bob G , 26/11/07 5:14 AM (CommentID #376314)
My beef is not with the Dash (though I do agree with other posters about the lame touch-sensitive volume strip, it stinks!). I will never purchase a Windows Mobile phone again (unless Windows makes some major changes). I used to have a treo 650 using the palm OS. Sure it would crash every now and then, but I believe that is to be expected with a bunch of 3rd party software. With Windows Mobile it now crashes DAILY and I have very few 3rd party aps. I'd do without the 3rd party aps, but then I would have a gimpy phone that has a horrible calendar, a hard to find/use alarm clock, and no usable notepad. Oh how I wish my Treo wasn't stolen!
Don't buy it - get something reliable!
By FRUSTRATED! , 08/11/07 1:39 PM (CommentID #356024)
#6 COMMENT - I upgraded my DASH software as well and now I cannot send email from my phone. I have Road Runner and no one is able to help me from T-Mobile. Very frustrated because before I did the stupid software upgrade, my email worked fine. Now it's pretty much useless if the software doesn't support Road Runner email!
By Hangman , 30/10/07 9:51 AM (CommentID #349739)
Wow !!!
I am in the market for a smart phone, and was really interested in the Dash. It is the better of a numerous amount I have been researching for my needs.
However, you're comments have sold me to NOT buy the Dash. Screen problems mainly, but other issues which have been repeated here as well have prompted me to continue my search.
By the dash sucks , 25/10/07 4:25 PM (CommentID #346797)
I purchased mt dash in November of 2006. The first one would get stuck while booting up. So, I replaced it the next day. I didn't have any problems until I down loaded the Mobile 6 software. After that the battery life went to hell and a hand basket and the phone was slow and sluggish. A couple of weeks ago I had to replace it again because it would turn itself off even with a full battery. I went through the full resets and battery replacements and to no avail it still did the same damn thing. So, I replaced that one the other day. Got the new one today and I still have the same problem!! THIS REALLY SUX!!! T-Mobile was willing to replace it again or swap it out for the Blackberry 8700 at no charge. The 8700 is obviously outdated!! Or I could pay full price for the Blackberry curve at $499. Yeah right!! I'm not eligible for an upgrade discount until November of 2008. Once my contract is up, T-mobile can KISS MY ASS!!!!!!!! Buyer beware!!!! The dash is a peice of Sh*t!!!!!
By Hate the dash!!! , 19/10/07 2:51 PM (CommentID #339461)
My dash is a piece of shit, I it had for awhile. My screen cracked, I to have screen all my calls, via voice mail. I can't read any text mess, to get a new one is $100. Reading all these comments about the screen, hell no...no more dash for me I'm going nextel:)
By gabrielleS , 13/10/07 4:18 PM (CommentID #334008)
Had my phone for 2 months. Didn't get insurance on it and since this was a large purchase for me I am very careful with it. Well, you guessed it. The screen 'cracked' there is no visible crack only a white screen with black streaks and I can't even make or receive phone calls. I didn't drop it, bump into anything nothing! I have now money for a new phone. Took it to TMobile who said that it's an "impact" and I would have to buy a new phone that it's not covered under Manufacturer's warranty.
By J. Denney , 09/10/07 11:38 AM (CommentID #329504)
I have had mine for a few months now, and I am very pleased with it. Fits in the pocket nice, all the features I was looking for. It looks and feels right. I bought mine online and use ATT for a carrier. I wanted a phone with WiFi, ATT doesn't seem to want you to have it. The web browser was disappointing, but I haven't tried it since I upgraded the OS.
By Intrepidacious , 09/10/07 6:11 AM (CommentID #329199)
My wife and I are enjoying our new Dashes. They've been rock-stable and battery life on mine has been great (several days' worth). My wife has hed less battery life, but she does talk with all her girlfriends a lot!
I had the issue with fre memory until I stopped that Voice Command application -- MAN did that free up a lot. I went from typically under 11MB to having over 19MB free after turning off the "always available" setting.
By Cheryl , 02/10/07 6:33 PM (CommentID #320330)
I bought the Dash this past spring. Yes, the volume strip is a pain but the worst is e-mail. Since the end of August, when TMobile had an internal upgrade, I have not been able to send e-mail from my phone. After multiple calls and long discussions with Techs who could not help, it appears that the last Tech finally acknowledged and read me a memo saying that the Dash and its software does not communicate "relay" with my provider Road Runner. I will never be able to send email from this phone. Apparently, the Dash does not communicate well with Earthlink and a few others as well. I told them that I did not know that when I bought the phone. I said that I would cancel my service if I was not able to get another phone. TMobile will give me a Blackberry (Blackberry communicates with Road Runner) but I have to pay for it!! Yes, with a "mini discount" as if I had originally bought it, the Blackberry, instead of the Dash when I extended my contract. I don't think I should have to pay for a brand new phone because of technical incompatability that I was un aware of. Certainly not for a month of service that I did not receive. I should also mention that I have not had a problem with the screen but the while recently charging the phone it and the adapter got very hot and started to smoke. They sent a new Dash and assured me that the new piece of hardward would solve my email problems. Sorry. Buyer beware of the Dash it is a piece of junk.
By eddie , 29/09/07 5:36 AM (CommentID #316629)
Can u play music on your myspace page wit the dash
By Jason in NYC , 25/09/07 1:41 PM (CommentID #312659)
Regarding Cracked Screens.
I filed an online complaint with the FCC, and sent the complaint number to T-Mobile. They sent me a brand new Pearl instead of a Dash; at least they finally responded. Don't waste your time with Customer Service at T-Mobile untile you file a complaint with the FCC. T-Mobile told me they couldn't help me at least 5 times, but as soon as I filed a complaint wih the FCC they acted right away.
By Monique , 23/09/07 7:21 PM (CommentID #310635)
I have a sidekick 3. and it was great for the few months I had it but now its driving me insane. this is my second one. I was on the phone with tmobile all day and their not doing anything about it. the blacklighting completely sucks and the usb cable refuses to work on this one.. and not only that, the glitching with aim pisses me off! I had to shut off the volume because while I was at work all my buddies would sign off at the same time. and even restarting the phone, the sidekick doesn't read my sim card. I'm just completely fed up with it. I got plenty of "oooohs" and "ahhhhs" from it but honestly, I'm not out to make a fashion statement. this is basically a kiddy phone and now that I'm turning 20, in college, and working all the time, I deff don't it. I ordered my dash today. with an extended 2 yr contract and paid full price. I'm a lil nervous w all these comments about the dash. I have played w it before and I was shocked at what this phone can do. hopefully, crossing my fingers, I don't get bad luck w this phone..
By mp , 17/09/07 7:25 AM (CommentID #303694)
for those of you that have "cracked" screens, do you use the case with the magnet in it?
By TDavis , 15/09/07 12:05 AM (CommentID #301570)
I have only read one comment about sending and receiving pics and songs via bluetooth. I'm confused because I can send but I can't receive. Thats weird because I thought you couldn't send or receive. Does anyone know?