P990i Advantages:
- FM Radio
- Friendlier User Interface
- More in-box accessories (like desktop charger, etc)
- Has all the possible ways to input text (KB, VKV, KP, Handwrite)
- Allows Touch Typing via Numeric keypad
- Seemingly better Camera (Cybershot Similar) Interface (Samples)
- Autofocus Camera with Marco & Semi-Pro Functions
- Looks, feels & uses more like a phone
- Lighter in weight 150g
- MS Duos Up to 8GB (4GB Max in market currently)
- More solid, have Sony Ericsson reknowned quality build, class & feel
- Has Cool removable Flip (Review)
- Revised new Symbian UIQ3.0 OS
- 262k Colour screen
- Very cool full Backlighting for KB & Numeric Keys
- Known better & reputable after sales & city repair service (SG side dependant)
P990i Disadvantages:
- Larger volume 114×57x26mm dimensions
- Shorter battery Life
- Symbian OS UIQ3.0 don’t have much good expandable 3rd party software
- Incompatible with older Symbian UIQ applications
- Not the most user-friendly to install SIS/Jar Applications
- PC Sync is not one of the best & convenient
- Wi-fi up to Wireless-B (11Mps) Networks
- Smaller screen at same res
- Non-universal external media (MS Duo format mostly for Sony products only)
- Slightly more expensive (about $100-$200 more than the Dopod)
- No EDGE support
- Records video with a QVGA 320×240 pixels resolution at 15FPS MAX
- No 3.5mm audio Jack
- Need adaptor for PC-sync, Music & no direct Mini-USB port charging
- Stylus placed on left side?
- Limited onboard games & software (what you get out of box is more or less what you have)
Dopod 838 Pro Advantages:
- More familar Windows 5.0 OS
- Useful & discreet slide out keyboard
- Smaller volume 113×58x22mm dimensions
- Longer & Bigger battery (1350mah to 1120mah)
- Better contacts/email sync via ActiveSync & Outlook
- Extremely software expandable (plenty MP3 Players/Games in market)
- MicroSD format more compatible with more common SD slot devices with adaptor (than MS Duo)
- Higher Video capture framerate (QVGA 30FPS, Samples)
- Photos are sharper than the p990i
- Camera Marco Mode
- Faster 400Mhz Samsung Processor (to the P990i ARM9)
- Bigger, more comfortable QWERTY keyboard
- Quad-Band for various US/Europe Networks
- HSDPA 3.5G Networks
- Up to Wireless-G (54Mbps) Networks
- Larger screen at same res
- Relatively Cheaper
- Plug & play through any Mini-USB port
Dopod 838 Pro Disadvantages:
- No Radio!
- Dumb MicroSD card format instead of fullsized SD (Adaptor Nightmare)
- MicroSD only up to 1GB capacity mainstream (with 2GB anounced only recently)
- Heavier (176g)
- Wasted space at keyboard Sides
- Not all front hardware buttons are backlighted (only softkeys, answer, hangup lighted)
- Talking is like holding an “N-gage” to your head
- Longer (2second+) shutter lag between shots
- Camera No Autofocus
- 65k Colour screen
- No 3.5mm Audio Jack
- Longtime OEM, HTC, has to establish its Dopod Housebrand, mostly unheard or new to the average consumer/layman.
- Not much of a Wow! factor compared to SE phones (& quality too)
- Not very spectacular & remote after sales & repair service center (SG side dependant)
More me, though it seems that the SE P990i seems to have the more cool factors & hardware functions, I am tending to lean more towards the Dopod side now, mainly because than I am a current Pocket PC user on a Dell Axim X50v, thus being more familar with the OS & able to run my favorite exisiting games, file explorers, notetakers & MP3 Players on it, futhermore SD cards are one of my most commonly used medias, & a MicroSD card can easily be compatible with all my full sized SD slot deviced with the adaptor, unlike MS Duo. I didn’t touch on common features like Bluetooth (with A2DP & Audio Remote support), IrDA, Wifi, 128MB ROM/64MB RAM, Jogdial keys , no-software filesize limit, top flashing indictor lights, LED flash, being a “USB-mass-storage device” when PC-plugged & the 2MegaPixel camera as they are all common features. But I guess it’s the flexiblity built into the Windows OS which currently won me over. That is important as I can ultilise more features of the device with new upgraded software or registry changes given the nature of the Win Mobile OS, something the Symbian side can’t really do without risky flashing or hacking.
