T-Mobile Dash review

Even though Boy Genius managed to get his hands on the HTC Excalibur and the T-Mobile Dash like, way before we did, we still got a unit to take around the block ourselves. It's safe to say the Dash is probably the most T-Mobile anticipated device of the second half of this year, and with good reason. We've loved this thing ever since we laid hands on it -- don't let the pictures fool you, it's way smaller and sleeker than most photos let on. In all reality, the Dash is a fairly unphotogenic device -- which is why we had to make sure to take some bigger and better than usual photos of it. Those angled corners off the screen and the thinning metal bezel on the face makes it look pear-shaped and odd. But once you wrap your hands around it, you'll understand why this is the hottest Smartphone on the American market.

The device itself is rock solid. Like most current-gen HTC devices, it's built like a tank, and feels like it could withstand some serious abuse (though naturally it's purdy enough that you'd never want to test that theory). It's not without fault though; the select and back keys are dangerously close, causing jump-backs from apps a little too frequently. The touch-strip HTC originally envisioned for the Excalibur has been replaced with a touch-sensitive volume keys, which are horrid for in-call use without pulling the phone away from your head. No tactility -- no good.




The keyboard, arguably the most important aspect of this device, is so-so. It does have good tactility, but our unit didn't register all our keypresses when we were typing quickly (and that's not due to the usual Smartphone two-keys-at-once bug). The spacebar is a bit irksome, as depressing the right side (with our right thumb) would often yield the opposite of what we just mentioned: a space, but no feedback (thus causing us to hit space more than once between words). The addition of AKU3 in this phone gives it XT9 support (which is as useful as it is irritating), as well as hold-down alt keys. The XT9 predictive text engine for QWERTY devices would be welcome if it came with some easy mechanism for turning it on and off, but sadly it does not -- this was confirmed with a number of other Dash users. Our Dash's XT9 would turn on for entering addressees in emails, but would mysteriously turn off when moving to the subject or body fields. Despite a few resets, the problem persisted; it's impossible to engage and disengage at will, something we're hoping they'll fix sooner than later.

On the other hand, hold-down alt keys is a newish feature we can't live without. Instead of hitting alt and dialing a key to get its alternate character (say, alt-l for $), just hold down l for a sec and $ just shows up. Unless you're really into typing llllllllllllll... you'll be happy that now you don't have to hit that alt key as much. We thought it was a bit of a bummer that the only key to engage the camera is slyly placed to the right of the space bar -- not terribly obvious when most devices have side-mounted camera buttons to more quickly and intuitively engage one of the device's most used features.












XT9 in action.


The volume strip settings.


A quick tour through the Dash yields the usual Smartphone fare, generally unencumbered by a ton of operator-installed crapware. The Dash is pretty lean, coming out of box with myFaves, an Oz-based mutli-IM client, a convenient email setup wizard, a new version of the HTC comm manager (below), and the usual WinMo standard apps.

myFaves is pretty easy to setup and use on the device; the update for our Dash was rolled out over the air, and we didn't have to touch a thing. Unfortunately without unlocking the extended ROM, we have no way of removing the myFaves app from the phone and putting it on our other WinMo Smartphones, nor is Tmo making the application available to current devices like the SDA, even though the software obviously exists. (More on that another time.) If you don't want myFaves on your today screen, though, you can pretty easily take it off.

The email setup wizard is a very convenient way to add your server-based email -- it assumes the settings from a number of typically used presets (i.e. it guesses mail.yourdomain.com and tries your user/pass there, etc.) taking a bit of the legwork out of the email setup procedure. We don't really think setting up mobile Outlook email wasn't that hard to begin with -- especially if you're the type to actually use WinMo -- but hey, every little bit helps.






Otherwise the device is about what you'd expect; the EDGE is speedy (for EDGE, anyway, which we've grown disturbingly used to), and the WiFi is useful -- but not that useful. It does indeed lack an external audio port, but has the newish HTC-standard extUSB port (pictured above), which makes use of the otherwise bare bottom half of the mini USB connector for audio-out purposes. Pretty irritating to have to use an adapter, but hey, it's 2006 and you've got alternatives: this phone supports A2DP and AVRC, so you've really no excuse to be running some ugly cable out of a device as pretty as this.

We know what you're burning to ask, though: how does it stack up against the Q? Well, when it comes down to it they're actually two very different devices. Radios excepted, we find the Dash preferable; though it's only got a 200MHz OMAP processor compared to the Q's 312MHz XScale, but it comes equipped with an additional 64MB flash memory. The Dash only has a 960mAh battery compared to the Q's 1130mAh power pack, but under normal usage the Dash held up quite well. So those specs are kind of tit for tat, but the Dash is just so much less utilitarian looking and clunky feeling. It's the slim Smartphone perfected. No, what's really at hand here is your data usage. Do you need 3G, or are you content with Tmo's $30 per month EDGE and WiFi bundle? Both phones are priced at parity, so your buying decision is more likely to come down to data, and less likely to depend upon flash memory or a millimeter of thickness.

But in terms of aesthetics and the ever-powerful touchability, the Dash has it in spades. Its shape and soft touch finish make it far more comfortable to hold in the hand than almost any other Smartphone we can think of in the US market (though it'll have some real competition when the Treo 750 lands on Cingular). In case you couldn't already tell, we feel pretty comfortable recommending this phone to anyone willing to put up with the inherent pains of Smartphone, with or without Tmo's tweaks and myFaves calling service.

[Alba Collart @ Mar 24th 2008 9:22AM]

I'm a Dash user... and I'm definately not happy with it. I've been having a lot of troubles with wi-fi, the bluetooth... neither works, I try to install the TV software and it just turned it too slow and the screen was not working properly, I had to uninstall it. The pdf, ppt are great though but today I even had troubles with the hour and time, it doesnt display the right hour. The battery is not that good, well, I have to recharge every two days... but is fair enough. Sincerely, If you are planning on getting a phone, I would buy another one.

[puppy2701 @ Mar 28th 2008 2:31AM]

I had the Tmobile Dash for 10 months and very disappointed. The phone freezes every other day. If there's a call and a text at the same time...the text will then cannot open. I will then have to turn it off or take out the battery to restart the device. In terms of pictures taking...For some reasons I cannot have it bigger when saving it in caller ids. The alarm can never get deleted completely unless I have to plug into the computer and delete all tasks. I have alarm sets up through out one day and it will sound off every other day. My friend have the same phone with same problems. I will never recommend this phone to anyone.

[Gio Dash @ Mar 28th 2008 11:29PM]

I have the t-mobile dash and i wanted to know if i get charged for using the internet because i clicked on internet explorer and it took me into it and i typed in a website and it took me there and i didn't know that i could access the internet and i know for a fact that i don't have any type of internet access on my plan all i have is mobile to mobile 700 whenever minutes and pay a fee to insure my phone if anything happens to it

[Daniel @ May 8th 2008 1:02PM]

I had the Blackberry Pearl then got the T-Mobile Dash and I love it!!! Although, I wish it had the copy and paste functions like the Pearl. But I still love the Dash, I'm the only one where I live that has one! A lot of phones have there flaw, but I haven't found it yet on the Dash; except when I type too fast and have to wait for it to catch up.

[jringnald @ Jun 21st 2008 9:38AM]

I have a t-mobile Dash and I love it... for the guy says we probably drop 3 calls a day... BS. I've had t-mobile for about 5 or 6 years now and I think I've only dropped 2 or 3 calls that whole time.

Anyway, my question is this: I am trying to watch movies on my dash... I have a micro sd card that I'm downloading the movies to and then putting the card in the phone but it keeps telling me either I can't watch the movie or there's no application associated with the movie...

Does anyone know the easiest way to watch movies on the Dash?

Thanks.

[cory @ Jun 22nd 2008 6:08PM]

How do you download music onto the Dash? I have it and cant figure it out?

[Charles @ Jul 21st 2008 11:32PM]

Tmobile Dash screen will break. Mine has twice with little pressure.

[makwak @ Aug 11th 2008 3:45AM]

i cant send text....whenever i press the "send" button nothing happens!....HELP PLEASE?

[Camryn @ Aug 13th 2008 1:14AM]

ok soooo i just got my dash n iv had it for maby about 2 days n i figured pretty much everything out but what i noticed r some really REALLY important symbols that r missing.. i duno maby they have it on here but i cant find them.. the symbols r the "" and "^" and "\" key.. maby there r more but i usually use the "

[xxecgrlxx @ Aug 13th 2008 2:50PM]

How do you block your number to make a private call? Does this phone have a private call setting? If it does does anyone know how to make it work? Where do you go to set it to private caller before you call someone?

[QT @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:34PM]

THIS PHONE SUCKS!!! This is my second Tmobile Dash. After 10 months, the end button did not work, thus I could not end a call. I had little issues here and there with the first Dash. They sent me another Dash. SAME PROBLEM. The end button does not work. I cannot end calls. The alarm goes on forever. When the battery runs out, it takes FOREVER to get the default settings up again. On top of this, I've charged the phone for 5 hours and it dies in 1 hour.

That being said, I like the way it looks. I don't like touch pads (ie iPhone). I am awaiting the Blackberry Bold. BTW, my gf is having the same issue with her Dash also and I have talked to others that have issues with this phone.

[lance @ Sep 14th 2008 9:21AM]

has anyone used this phone for the gps. if so how do u like it.

[vrob @ Sep 21st 2008 6:38PM]

Everytime I try to use Internet Explorer I get an error message. Why?

And I am unable to view to download some attechments to my text messages like ringtones and wallpaper. I get an error message. Why is that?

[Ashlen @ Sep 27th 2008 9:13PM]

I have had this phone for about a month now. There is absolutely nothing that I dislike about this phone. It's fast, it's easy and the keyboard may look small, but you just have to try it out, it's perfect for your hands. I also like how it doesn't flip or slide, so I know it won't break easily. If your looking into this phone, buy it. I have had 6 razrs and a crazr in the past 9 months,and they don't COMPARE to this. This phone is like my child, I love it!

[stein @ Oct 3rd 2008 7:01PM]

WOW- so many positive remarks but I've had nothing but problems. In talking to T-Mobile people they also say they have a lot of issues with the phone.

Here's my take:
I've had 4 different "smart phones" and this is the worst of them. Windows Mobile is clunky and not intuitive, Not necessarily the fault of the manufacturer (other than choosing it). But this is a poor quality phone for many reasons. I've had 2 with warranty and each had the same issues, as do coworkers who have the dash. It often over heats and shuts down. Battery life is horrible and likely connected to the over heating issue. Sound quality is horrible both ways.

[Erica @ Oct 11th 2008 10:49AM]

Here's my review of the DASH..........junk. I've been through 2 DASH's in 16 months. Both froze up on me and could not be brought back from the dead so to speak. The T-Mobile tech support people were unable to help me and didn't care that I was without a phone. My daughter has seizures and all her md's call that phone.....T-Mobile was TOTALLY unconcerned that I had missed important calls re: her hospitalization etc.. DON'T GET A DASH OR GO WITH T-MOBILE!

[Steven @ Oct 17th 2008 9:07PM]

its a good phone but the battery runs out really fast...if ur signed on to AIM and u put ur fone down it loses almost half its battery in not even 2 hours.....

[Sam @ Oct 21st 2008 11:55AM]

I absolutely hate this phone. I got my dash about a year ago and I have to say that it is a piece of crap. Before purchasing I read all kinds of reviews most of which said it was a decent phone. Well, I don't want someone else out there like myself to think that this phone is something great. Here is a ever growing list of issues I have had with the T-mobile Dash:

- keypad lights always stays on which runs the battery down even faster, no way to turn this off
- while on the phone, the volume strip, yea sometimes it works and other times it does not
- it randomly completely shuts off
- when you hold down a number, like 1, so you can check your voice mail, well half the time it starts spitting out 11111111 instead of just realizing you only pressed the 1 key once.. it also does this with 2 through 9 as well.
- it is very very very slow with the default memory, you will have to upgrade it if you want use any of the applications
- the over all interface and settings for the phone are had to access, usually hidden deep within the phone. Like I said, I have had the phone for a year, use it everyday, and I can't remember how to change the ring volume, it's a huge pain.
- the keys on the keypad are tiny, its always a challenge dialing the correct number

that's just what I can think of off the top of my head but this phone is seriously the worst phone I have ever owned and I think I hate the people who designed it. don't buy it, its a waste of money

[Eugene @ Oct 23rd 2008 1:53PM]

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU BUY A DASH. I have it with T-mobile, gotta be one of the owrst purchases of my life. I have never written a review before but I have to warn people. The phone sucks, my battery life is about 8 hours, and I don't talk alot. By 5:30 pm it is loosing charge. The service T-mobile only works in open spaces. I dont get service in any building I work in (and I workin 4). Im a physician and after having problems wrote T-mobile 8 letter seeing if they couls help me, no dice. Anyway, Im switching to Blacberry with ATT, Ill pay the $300 penalty just to have peace of mind.

[ITGuy @ Apr 18th 2009 3:15AM]

Hey Doc,

Pleas don't come practice medicine around me. I cannot agre or disagree with your review but your spelling and grammar are atrocious. Apparently English grammar was not taught at your location of "higer education".

I am curious if you have the original Dash, or did you have the new Windows Mobile 6.0 version?

I always thought the termination fee was $200 or $250, not $300, where are you a Tmo customer?

[ITGuy @ Apr 18th 2009 3:21AM]

Sorry Doc,

After seeing how my comment got posted with a bunch of missing characters, I take back my comment about spelling and grammar. I am not sure which web site messed with the charracters, but it left quite a few ending characters off of my post as well as one in the middle of the word.

[Nancy @ Dec 10th 2008 9:49AM]

I have this phone, don't get it! It was great at first. I thought it was a bargain for a smartphone. However, I have had it for about 6 months and find it to be more a pain than a convenience. First off, a week after I got it it started locking up before the phone finished coming on. Then it locked up all the time. The alarm is a huge problem. Once you set an alarm its almost impossible to remove it even when you think you have. This phone does not like to take no as an answer. On more than a dozen occasions this phone has locked up while the alarm is blaring at 6 a.m. I figured taking out the battery would stop it but as soon as I reinserted the battery it returned to its obnoxious beeping and wouldn't let me exit for about five minutes. The only solution was to shove it under my mattress until then. The other problem is that the ringtones are either too quite or incredibly loud. In order for the alarm clock to be efficient it has to be on outdoor. I live in a dorm and people know me as the one with that GD alarm clock that echoes throughout the building. Also, in the early stages of setting up my phone I set my reminder alarm on vibrate and now it won't let me change it, causing me to be late regularly. When I try and get T-mobile to fix these problems they make me go through the 2 hour phone call to customer service and I have to manually reset things that won't stay fixed. Also the solutions are never quick easy fixes and I may go through all 50 steps only to find out that didn't work. The alarm problem is one that T-mobile says is Windows fault and Windows says its T-mobile's. Either way no one will fix it. So save yourself the trouble and don't buy this phone!

[Sexy-penny @ Jan 23rd 2009 2:48AM]

i have the dash and i am wondering what to do because it is lock and i have tried the nine time and it is just saying please wait to retry what should i do?

[mbrooks21 @ Feb 13th 2009 4:25PM]

can someone send me step by step instructions on how to connect my dash to wi-fi for free. I've played with the phone and its manual and stillreceive an error page. I wanted it for the internet, but still have not had a chance to use the feature.

[prhartfiel @ Mar 6th 2009 12:28AM]

I bought the Dash 8 weeks ago; have no music, no photos, no documents on it - locks up with error code of storage problem; service absolutely said only a hard reset would work - though NOTHING stored on it - I did so - now I have a dimestore phone - can't have e-mail on it- or anything else b/c the same thing might happen -- are you kidding me??? -- T-Mobile's solution - live with it or use the Blackberry Pearl - which doesn't have a full keyboard -- one I wouldn't buy b/c of the double letter on a key situation -- now I have the dime store Dash - all hype no delivery - can't put anything on it - like e-mail or the storage problem may recur and a hard reset would be solution again - losing everything every 7-8 weeks - what fun! -- URGH not happy --I'm going to try the 2g memory card - I went with the 4g that T-Mobile site recommended only to discover it only supports 2 -- URGH again -- I'm pretty convinced you must be a subcontractor of T-Mobile as well. I wonder - do I put up with this for 22 months, or give this company even more money to get out of this situation with a better phone or better provider -- ?? :o(

[maria @ Apr 26th 2009 6:41PM]

well cool but i have a dumb question
how do you turn the dash on?

[amy @ Apr 30th 2009 3:36AM]

i bought a DASH phone about a year ago so did my sister in law and its a crappy ass phone. dont get. waste of money..battery is great when u first buy it but when u start using the keys, it only last about two to three hours..my sis in law and i had soooo much problems with the DASH phone..in order for her to send a text message she had to type in what she wanted to type then she had to plug her phone to the charger while holding the charger and phone together just to send the text..her battery talk time is less than 30 mins even when the phone has been charge over night..her volume strip goes up and down by itself..as for me, every time i send a text picture, the phone shuts off completely even when the battery is full..say i have two bars of battery left and charge it for and hr; itll say its full..but when i send out 3 text and talk on it for 30 mins, the battery is back to 2 bars..battery sucks on the DASH..the only two thing i like about the DASH phone would be the camera and the media player..

[merveillemande8 @ Jun 6th 2009 1:24AM]

hi umm i have the dash and for some reason when i turned it on it turned on but it was just a white page. i don't know what to do help anyone please!

[TIMMY @ Aug 19th 2009 11:14PM]

yoooooo dis phone is awsome i love it yo

[CJ @ Oct 9th 2009 8:34PM]

This is by FAR the absolute WORST phone ive ever purchased!!!! I've had the Dash for about a year now and its given me nothing but problems! It's gotten to the point where something as simple as a text message takes about 5 minutes just to type and send. The phone can't even handle texting when a phone call prompts, it just freezes up and I end up losing both! The web browser is horrible and shuts itself down within 3 minutes of browsing simple sites like the news or even yellowbook! It likes to delete important texts that i think are safe and sound but ill turn the phone on and NOPE all gone! I have to take the battery out to restart this piece of crap id say about 9-10 times a day! Just now as im typing this review i recieved a text and its taking FOREVER just for me to get to the text message page to read it when its only one button to push!!!! The thing can't handle the simplest of tasks! It can't even hold a battery charge anymore. I havent put any applications on this phone and have kept the memory at minimum to avoid all of this and of course T-Mobile doesnt care because they already have my money! Do yourself a favor and stay FAR AWAY from this phone and from T-Mobile altogether!!

[bigsaucybob @ Oct 11th 2006 7:28AM]

looks great, keyboard looks uncomfortable though

[akijikan @ Oct 11th 2006 7:45AM]

After using WM5 PocketPC, I don't think I could go to Smartphone. Yes I am stuck with some thicker, bulkier devices (700wx right now), but its worth it to me. The keyboard on that thing looks smaller and scrunchier than my 700wx, and I'm sorry, but the front is ugly as all get out, nice screen though.

[PcAdDiCt44 @ Nov 18th 2006 10:33AM]

Well, having used (and still own) the T-Mobile MDA, I am now using the Verizon AudioVox 6700 which gets data at DSL Speed over-the-air (360 kbps+), true wireless sync w/Verizon-provided sync site..changes made on the pc reflect on the 6700 within 15-30 seconds on average and vice versa(!). The 6700 has a 400mHz CPU and all the features of the MDA and most of the 'Dash'. Overall, I'm extremely glad I switched from T-(slug) Mobile.

[Korey @ Oct 11th 2006 8:00AM]

I love the touch strip and WiFi I think Blackberry could learn something from this and so could Cingular with MyFaves though obviously a knock off of My Circle.

[Justin @ Oct 12th 2006 11:08PM]

Actually, it's the other way around. My Faves (known previously as My 5) has been in development for a long while. Alltel just beat them to the release of it.

[pikapdragon @ Nov 14th 2006 8:12PM]

Actually T-Mobile had the MyFavs before MyCircle came out, it was tested in a few markets before they went national with it...which is smart because you wouldnt want to sell a product before you have tested it out. And also their market survey showed that the average person only calls 5 people regularly, so thats why they only offer the 5 MyFavs instead of the 10 that MyCircle offers. Just a little FYI

[Mike @ Oct 11th 2006 8:16AM]

But it runs WIndows Mobile. That's kinda like when you see a hot chick with this great body, then she turns around and has a face that screams out for a brown bag!

[xbit @ Oct 11th 2006 8:18AM]

Wow, that's ugly. HTC could really learn a few lessons from the Motorola Q and Nokia E62 when it comes to industrial design.

[phi @ Oct 11th 2006 9:19AM]

Man, I wish they would've just kept the JOGGR feature/strip in there.

[doppler @ Oct 11th 2006 9:34AM]

Would I be nuts if I said that the Pearl was the most anticipated T-Mobile device of the 2nd half of this year?

[Bob @ Jul 16th 2008 2:05PM]

UNfortunately, here in July 2008, after having my THIRD Pearl "corrupt itself" and being onmy SECOND simcard that "got corrupted" and being that the Pearl has a Video folder but.... DOESN'T SHOOT VIDEO. Plus the dropped calls every time I entered a store, building, etc.... I am trading UP from the Pearl with its now "known issues" that they just won't fix.... to the Dash, that 2 friends own and love.

SCREW the Pearl, everyone I know fell for it, are now annoyed with the thing, and are anticipating their next phones already.

PEARL = JUNK in spades.

[BT Hathaway @ Oct 11th 2006 9:48AM]

Answer me this...will the Dash allow editing of Office documents or is it a view only device? That was my biggest gripe with the Q phone (and what kept me from buying one), I wanted the ability to work with Word and Excel documents.

Thanks.

[Richard @ Oct 11th 2006 11:40AM]

Here's the irony of it all - Cingular's Symbian-based Nokia E62 comes with software to edit MS Office documents, but virtually all Windows Mobile Smartphone edition devices don't. Odd, isn't it?

[R - Houston @ Oct 16th 2006 12:01PM]

BT Hathaway:
The Dash (and other Win Mobile "Smart Phone Edition" devices) are meant to view documents, not edit. If you need to edit then you should consider the Treo 700 series. Come to think of it, I don't think that Smart Phone Edition includes ability to view notes either. That means if you use Outlook for work, and rely on notes, then you will be a bit limited with the Dash.

[HTGadget @ Oct 17th 2006 12:59AM]

Richard and R-H are correct. How ironic that this Win platform are MSOffice app view only and Nokia Symbian Smartphones are fully editible. From an interprise level, Q and Dash fall short. This may be because US cellular carrier dictate to device mfrs what these device are and aren't doing. Instead of what they are designed to be able to do.
US carriers are stuck on cell phone users instead on the next phase of business appliances that are fully capabile of support the mobile worker. I intentionally didn't say businessperson!

[David @ Dec 16th 2006 11:10AM]

You can use Z4Soft PTab for editing Excel spreadsheets (www.z4soft.com) on T-Mobile Dash

[famous182 @ Apr 17th 2008 4:03PM]

The older version (with Windows Mobile 5) is a view/read only on documents. The new version (complete with Windows Mobile 6, which I believe came out in early 2008) is fully capable of editing documents...Although, how much of that would you really want to do on the dash keyboard??

[Ig @ Oct 11th 2006 10:02AM]

It looks like an O.K. device but two really bad things about it. If the touch sensitivity is anything like the chocolate then that will suck bad, & EDGE data why would someone take 2g or 2.5g whatever there calling it these days when all of the other national carriers are offering 3g like EVDO or UMTS, but then again different strokes for different folks.

[cortez @ Oct 11th 2006 11:53AM]

i'm all for smallness, but small means poor battery life (e.g., a day or less)... with a 960mAh battery, push email and 30-60 mins in phone calls you'd do well to get a days usage...

[emx2500 @ Oct 11th 2006 10:27AM]

Based on the review which has plenty of negatives, I have no idea how you end up recommending it over the Q... IMHO, the HTC is much less attractive and generic looking... also, EVDO seems to trump EDGE+Wifi in most circumstances...