HTC Excalibur/T-Mobile Dash/ Rogers S261

The HTC Excalibur, also known as the T-Mobile Dash in the US or the Rogers S621 in Canada, is a Windows Mobile device. It features a QWERTY keyboard, WiFi (allowing for internet connectivity wherever a compatible hotspot is present, a Jog bar (mimics the infamous Blackberry wheel).

In terms of multimedia, it has a 1.3MP camera, and powerful enough hardware to allow for music and movie viewing.

What is Windows Mobile?

Windows Mobile is geared towards the business user because it allows the viewing and editing of Windows Office documents, including Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Windows Mobile also includes push e-mail technology, meaning e-mail can be received and sent straight from the device. It features an extensive calendar and contacts application.

On top of these productivity features, it is open to 3RD party applications. This means that the Windows Mobile platform is open to developers to push what the device can do and fill any voids that are present.

What I like about the HTC Excalibur

• It is small. You cannot judge from the pictures but when you see it in person and hold it, it is the perfect size and weight.
• It is thin, not Motorolla RAZR thin, but very thin for a Smartphone.
• The plastic has a rubber feel making it very slip resistant.
• The screen is bigger than my last Smartphone and landscape, which makes it great for watching movies.
• The keyboard, once you get used to the size, makes it almost impossible to go back to a regular phone.
• The WiFi works very well and I actually use it more than I thought I would.
• The Jog bar, or as HTC calls it the JOGGR, is clever and impresses everyone
• The sound quality is great and very loud
• The phone itself is very responsive and applications launch quickly

What I don’t like

• The phone does freeze occasionally and I have to remove the battery to reset it.
• Sometimes the JOGGR gets stuck and is finicky
• There isn’t a dedicated headphone jack, the same port is used for charging, syncing, and headphones. This means damaging this one port could be the end for the phone.
• The vibrate could be stronger.
• The camera seems almost antique in comparison to the Sony Erricson line.

The Verdict

Despite it’s occasional crashes and one port, which always makes me nervous, the HTC Excalibur has done a lot right. It feels perfect in the hand and pocket, the screen is a great size and resolution, it handles music and video as well as 5G iPods (with the use of Conduits Pocket Player 3.5 and TCPMP), sending text messages is very easy, has a library with thousands of applications and games, and it’s a great phone.

If you have never had a smartphone, this is the way to start. If you have one and want to upgrade, this phone is very solid. If you use a Blackberry but need more applications, this will be an easy switch.

Rating: 9/10