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The Upshot
 The first UMTS/HSDPA PDA phone to debut in the United States, Cingular's 8525 is looking to lure customers with high-speed wireless WAN access and an expansive feature set.  Although there's no shortage of PDA phones, there are few "one size fits all" devices. In the mobile device arena, features and bundled applications can serve as important decision points for enterprise buyers.  The 8525 makes the most of the Cingular network's UMTS/HSDPA data capabilities and the addition of 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi gives users almost anytime, anywhere network access. The QWERTY keyboard makes text entry a breeze. The Windows Mobile-standard Office apps are convenient, and Cingular's enterprise application portfolio definitely expands the target markets for this device. Cingular 8525 |
Cingular has been making great strides in the implementation of its UMTS/HSDPA data network, currently available in about 150 markets. Prior to the release of the Cingular 8525, PC Cards and laptop-integrated adapters were the primary access methods for this 3G network, leaving mobile pros with PDAs out in the cold.
An upgrade of the Cingular 8125, the 8525 is a Windows Mobile 5.0 PDA and a quad-band GSM world phone that is the first U.S. PDA phone to provide Universal Mobile Telecommunications System/High-Speed Downlink Packet Access capabilities. Designed by HTC, the face of the device has a touch screen, but a sliding mechanism reveals a QWERTY keyboard for text entry.
VOICE AND DATA, TOGETHER FOREVER
The 8525 takes full advantage of the simultaneous voice and data capabilities provided by the UMTS/HSDPA network. We talked on the phone while browsing the Web both on the device and while the device was tethered to a laptop, with no effect on call quality or data rates. It's likely that other networks will bring this feature to the table in the near future, but Cingular's UMTS network has the first-mover advantage.
While we're talking tethering, we should note that we easily set up the phone as a modem, with the option to use Bluetooth or USB. However, the option is expensive. If you're going to tether, Cingular wants you to pay for the laptop data plan, which is a bit more costly than the PDA data plan. An individual PDA Connect Unlimited plan runs $44.99 per month, while the Data Connect Unlimited weighs in at $79.99 ($59.99 with a two-year commitment). The steep difference between the PDA Connect and Data Connect plans is not uncommon--many operators place a high premium on wireless data--but we'd like to see those prices drop.
PDA Phone Comparison
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UMTS: AS GOOD AS EV-DO?
Although speed isn't the only reason to buy this device, Cingular's UMTS/HSDPA network is a vast improvement over its previous-generation EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution) network. With UMTS/HSDPA, Cingular is finally in the same league with the Verizon and Sprint EV-DO (Evolution-Data Only) offerings. We conducted speed tests in four locations around the Washington metro area, using the device solo and tethered to a laptop. The 8525 achieved average download speeds of 810 Kbps, with bursts of more than 1,100 Kbps. Average upload speeds were 228 Kbps and peak uploads hit more than 350 Kbps. The device also successfully rolled back to EDGE and GPRS networks when UMTS/HSDPA wasn't available. In our tests, though, the 8525 indicated that it was on GPRS while it was actually on EDGE. Cingular assured us this glitch will be fixed this year.
Cingular isn't relying only on the promise of high-speed WWAN access to lure customers. The phone serves up a wireless triple threat, with its 3G UMTS/ HSDPA, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0. Wi-Fi is appealing to enterprises of all shapes and sizes, but will likely prove especially popular in the health-care sector, where investments in Wi-Fi infrastructure and accompanying mobile applications have been substantial. Many Windows Mobile devices had built-in Wi-Fi technology, but competing devices such as the Palm Treo require expansion cards to get these capabilities.
Mobile pros who juggle a variety of Bluetooth peripherals also will appreciate the upgrade to Bluetooth 2.0, with its ability to handle up to six peripherals. Additionally, Cingular is promising Push-to-Talk through a software upgrade for the 8525 in 2007, which is likely to generate interest from field-service techs.
