The SMT5800 looks like a typical Windows Mobile candybar phone at first glance, but it hides a slide-out keyboard for those who love to text or email. In all other respects the SMT5800 will bring all the good, and bad, that you would expect from Windows Mobile Standard, which is the non-touchscreen version. We liked the phone's looks and durability, and if professional good looks were everything the SMT5800 would be ahead of the game. Unfortunately a very limited battery life should cause anyone looking at this device some pause.
As a Windows Mobile Standard phone, the SMT5800 manages to deliver a good suite of software. The platform is also very extensible, so if you don't like some aspect of the phone, or want functionality that isn't included initially, chances are there are tons of solutions out there for you. The only low points are how the software is limited compared to Windows Mobile Professional phones. For example, users can't create new Word or Excel documents, but they can edit existing ones; the easy work-around for this is to always keep a blank file on your memory card.
Really, the SMT5800 would be a very intriguing option for a higher-end-looking Windows Mobile Standard device if it weren't for its battery life. We tested two different versions of this phone, and neither set of results was good. Not only were the battery scores low in general, they simply weren't congruous with the needs of typical smart phone users. Chances are, if you're buying a smart phone, you need a phone plus a PDA with internet access. These devices are supposed to be built for heavy use, but the SMT5800 simply doesn't have the endurance necessary for a phone of its class.
Section The Good The Bad
Tour & Design The phone certainly looks sharp and professional. Those who aren't looking for professional will think this phone looks bland.
Audio Quality Everything. It makes many other phones insecure.
Imaging It can take both pictures and videos. It can't do either particularly well.
Making/Receiving Calls The phone keeps the call log organized and its call and data timers are plentiful. The phone is slow to dial, won't accept custom ringtones, and the non-audio alerts are weak.
Messaging The email and texting client should be great for most users. Professionals will wish they could manage multiple messages easier.
Organizer The organizer is definitely better than average. But, it's not as good as the organizer in Series 60 phones and has no notes application.
Multimedia Windows Media Player is really easy to use. Windows Media Player doesn't give as many organizational tools as some other media players we've seen.
Software Windows Mobile Standard is very extensible and a relatively easy to use platform. Compared to Windows Mobile Professional and other higher-end OSs, Standard is crippled.
Battery Life Sadly, there really isn't much the SMT5800 does right in this category. The horrendous battery life basically condmens users to charging the phone every single night.
Connectivity The phone has Bluetooth. It has a limited selection of Bluetooth profiles and no wi-fi support.
Hardware The slide-out QWERTY is good, and the phone supports microSD cards up to 8GB. The screen is average and the on-board memory is barely there.
Other Features It can be used as a tethered modem. No GPS or other features, need to buy a plan for tethered modem use, or risk overages.
Value & Comparisons Really, the only thing holding the phone back is its terrible battery life. The battery life really is bad enough to nullify most other boons.
