The only satisfaction I get from being locked into any phone contract is picking up a new phone for free every so often. (Although you must sign your life away again.) It hasn’t been that long since I got my LG Decoy, which really was a great phone, I mean, that built in Bluetooth headphone is a great idea. But, I had an upgrade come up, and the one thing that was lacking from the Decoy was any real web capability. It had that cheap phone provider pseudo-internet, in my case Verizon’s pay for every single Kb you use model.
So I got my free HTC Ozone today. A fairly decent smart phone with full browser running Windows Mobile 6. It really is pretty sweet. Now some of you that are on other networks may not know that most Verizon phones are CDMA technology which means no SIM cards. Not the biggest of deals here in the US, but if you are a traveler, you are pretty much screwed because most other countries use GSM/ Sim card technology.
Well, believe it or not, somebody at HTC and Verizon thought of this and the Ozone comes with a SIM card and is able to work in like 165 countries. Sweet, now if I go visit my wife’s family in El Salvador or get back to my roots in Puerto Rico I can still use my phone.
I will also be able to post to my blog, twit when I wish to tweet and get my email. Not bad for a phone that cost me nothing right?
Here are some specs:
Operating System
Windows Mobile® 6.1 Standard
Applications
Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 6, Microsoft Office Mobile (Word Mobile, Excel® Mobile,PowerPoint® Mobile, and OneNote® Mobile), Microsoft Outlook® Mobile
Processor
MSM7625, 528MHz
Internal Memory
256MB ROM / 192MB RAM
Display
2.4-inch 320 x 240 QVGA
Technology
CDMA2000 1xRTT / 1XEVDO Rev. A 800/ 1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Support for Office Outlook Mobile® and Microsoft Exchange® with Direct Push
Dimensions
4.5(L) x 2.5(W) x 0.5(H)
Weight
3.7 ounces (with battery)
Battery
Removable and rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, 1500 mAh
Talk time: Up to 290 minutes
Standby: Up to 324 hours
(The above are subject to network and phone usage)
Speakerphone
Built-in microphone, speaker
Built-in Camera
2-megapixel
Audio/Video
Windows Media® Player 10 Mobile, MPEG-4, H.263, H.264, AVI, WAV,
MP3, MP4, MIDI, WMV, 3GP, 3G2, WMA
I/O Interface
Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for stereo wireless headsets, mini-USB 11-pin connector, USB cable and charging interface
Expansion
microSD™ memory card slot
Device Navigation
QWERTY keyboard, one-touch key to access Messaging, 5-way navigation pad, end/power button, send/hands-free button, back/clear button, Home button, volume up/down button, 2 softkeys
Memory card slot
microSD™ memory card
Antenna
Internal Antenna
In-Box Content
Ozone™ smartphone, Standard Lithium Ion Battery, AC Charger, Mini USB Cable, Multifunction Audio Cable, International adapter plugs, VZAccess Manager℠ CD, Getting Started CD (includes User Guide), RF Brochure, Read First Poster, Quick Reference Guide, Global Support Kit
December 18th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Hey there J,
I was thinking of doing that too. Get a new contract to get a free phone. My 2 year contract has been long passed and I’m on a month to month contract now, but I find it stupid that I will have to pay over $100 AND renew my contract for 2 years if I chose to upgrade my phone. Hell with that. I’ll just cancel and then sign up as a new customer again. Later!