T-Mobile MDA Compact IV Review
The smart phone market really came alive in 2008, and among the many devices to come into the shops was this one- the T-Mobile MDA Compact IV. If it looks familiar to readers that is no surprise, for this T-Mobile’s version of the HTC Touch Diamond, a very highly respected mobile handset of the highest order. Let’s see what it looks like, what it does, and whether it’s worth comparison with others in the class.
In terms of looks the Compact IV is a neat design: the Touch Diamond, after all, is one of the best looking handsets on the market. With the requisite big screen and black trimmings, a neat and simple design uncluttered by buttons and a central circular functioning wheel, the handset is clearly at the forefront of design, although having been rebranded for T-Mobile it seems as though it has lost some of the inherent class that makes the HTC version one of the best looking phones of all time.
It is surprisingly light, however, at 100g, although not the slimmest of phones at 18mm, but with this handset it is function that is the premier requirement, for this is a very capable machine indeed, as its HTC origins suggest.
This is a business end machine, and that is reflected in the high speed download capability that is built in, plus Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and all the usual gizmos that one expects on a phone of this standard. The interface has undergone a few changes to give it the T-Mobile branding, but it remains a Touch Diamond in all but name.
So is it any good? Well let’s take a look at the capability of this attractive phone. The capability of the Windows Mobile operating system will be familiar to most users, and needless to say the Compact IV is easy to use and navigation is excellent. The 2.8 inch screen is beautiful to look at and gives great resolution, while the overall design of the phone adds to the feel of quality and excellence that one expects from this maker.
One interesting feature is the inclusion of assisted GPS, allowing the user to link the phone with a sat-nav or other device. Furthermore this is a 3.5G phone, giving very high download speeds of up to 7.2mpbs – excellent by any standards. With GPRS and EDGE too, and Bluetooth and USB connectivity, the Compact IV is placed right at the front in terms of connectivity, and in some ways outstrips the iPhone across this area.
Given the way in which style has become as important as function in terms of achieving sales it is no surprise that T-Mobile continues to link up with HTC. Indeed, the Compact IV is sister in the T-Mobile ranks to the Google G1, itself an HTC design of great repute.
A 3.2 mega-pixel camera is perfectly adequate – if not world-beating – and presents perfectly good photos should that be your requirement; however, that is not the purpose intended for this handset, which is directly aimed at the business user. In that respect it needs to compete with the iPhone and the Blackberry range, plus the higher end smart phones that help populate the market and, like the Touch Diamond itself, it does so quite admirably.
If one wants to be a bit different and enjoys using the Windows Mobile operating system then this phone could be the one to top your list; it is by no means the best phone on the market, but comes very close to challenging for the top ranks in any list. Choosing between the Compact IV and the HTC Touch Diamond, however, could be key: I would choose the latter, as it simply looks that little bit better.
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