Amazing smartphone deals on Verizon Wireless

As Verizon Wireless gets ready to liquidate some old smartphones and promote new smartphones, you can find some pretty amazing deals. For instance, the Samsung Omnia (not the Omnia II but the original Omnia) is selling for $15. The Omnia II is coming very soon. The HTC Touch Diamond is $50. Don't care for Windows Mobile? Then try the HTC Droid Eris for $100 (running Google's Android OS). You can even get the original BlackBerry Storm for $50 since the new BlackBerry Storm 2 is selling for $180.

Remember that Verizon now requires you to subscribe to a data plan if you purchase a smartphone. If you try to drop the data plan, you can expect to pay a hefty premium for your smartphone. Also, they charge extra for tethering, so make sure to ask those questions when you shop at Verizon.

AT&T Pure (HTC Touch Diamond2) and Tilt (HTC Touch Pro2)

AT&T likes to rebrand phones as their own. Verizon does the same and this often confuses consumers because they fail to recognize key smartphone manufacturers like HTC. They may recognize names like Samsung and Motorola, but they don't know HTC.

The AT&T Pure is really an HTC Touch Diamond2 that's been rebranded. The Touch Diamond2 is a great smartphone for people who don't mind the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system and who also don't need a hardware keyboard. If you can live with an on-screen keyboard (similar to the one found on the Apple iPhone), then you should be quite content with this device - as long as you're familiar with Windows Mobile.

The AT&T Tilt2 is a rebranded HTC Touch Pro2. This is a thicker smartphone that has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. I love my Verizon Touch Pro2 and I welcome the thicker device for the hardware keyboard.

One of the biggest benefits of Windows Mobile right now is the fact that there's a plethora of medical software for Windows Mobile 6.5, 6.1, 6.0, and even older versions of Windows Mobile/Pocket PC/etc.

Hidden smartphone "gems" at Verizon Wireless

I don't understand why Verizon Wireless stores and kiosks don't stock more smartphones. They have a decent selection of Windows Mobile smartphones online, but if you walk up to a kiosk or go to an average store, you won't find some of the best smartphones that are available on Verizon Wireless. Why?

If you're on a budget and you don't need the "latest and greatest," then let me make a few suggestions for some great Verizon smartphones that are "hidden" from many people:

• XV6900. This smartphone is made by HTC and is also known as the "Touch" or "Vogue." It's a simple smartphone, but it's snappy, small, light, and has a touch-screen. It runs Windows Mobile and has a built-in GPS (that won't work unless you "unlock" it by flashing custom ROMs and doing a bit of tweaking - not for beginners). The camera is nice if you want to take a picture of a patient's rash (get permission first). I have one and I really like it. No Wi-Fi on this tiny phone. Verizon is getting rid of them, so I don't know how much longer they will be around. You won't find this in any of the stores.
  
• HTC Touch Pro. Here, Verizon decided to keep the name "HTC," even though this phone is also classified as the XV6850 (but I don't think anyone knows that). This slider is a great phone that also has a built-in GPS (Verizon unlocked it, so you're free to use it on Google Maps or TomTom). Touch-screen, Windows Mobile, and this device has a high resolution screen (may be a bit too high res for some of you). The camera on this device also includes an LED flash. You won't find this in any of the stores.
  
• HTC Touch Diamond. This is like the Touch Pro, but it lacks the slide-out keyboard. So, this is a very thin phone that's like a "professional" version of the XV6900 with a high res screen. You'll get Wi-Fi and GPS (but you'll have to do a bit of tweaking to unlock the GPS) on this device. Simple camera without an LED flash.
  

So, what do we have in common with all these smartphones? They're all made by HTC, they all run Windows Mobile, they all have touch-screens, they all have cameras, and they all have an internal GPS chip (although you may need to do some modifying to get the internal GPS to work).

Why didn't I mention the HTC Ozone? You'll see this in the stores, but this smartphone lacks a touch screen. If you're planning on running medical software, you'll be much more productive if you have a smartphone that has a touch screen. Avoid getting anything that lacks a touch screen.

Keep in mind that several new smartphones are coming to Verizon this fall and next spring. So, if you're eager to have the latest devices, then you're better waiting until some of these new devices emerge.

Verizon drops prices on smartphones

Just after I ordered the BlackBerry Storm, Verizon Wireless dropped the prices on several of their main Windows Mobile smartphones, including:

• HTC Touch Diamond
• HTC Touch Pro
• Samsung Omnia

These are now available for $99.99! That's the same price as the BlackBerry Storm!

Verizon XV6175 (HTC Snap)

I really don't get it. The HTC Snap is being branded as the Verizon XV6175 on Verizon Wireless. HTC phones were getting rebranded as Verizon phones (remember the XV6800 and the XV 6900)? Then, Verizon came out with the HTC Touch Pro and the HTC Touch Diamond. They didn't rebrand those phones. So what's going on? Why the rebranding again with the HTC Snap? This phone will work on the CDMA network but also have quad-band GSM capabilities for world travelers.

HTC Touch Diamond2 or Touch Pro2?

HTC makes some great phones for Verizon Wireless. My HTC Titan (branded as an XV6800) is getting old but I'm still using it every day and it works fine. Now, you can get either the Touch Diamond or the Touch Pro. The Touch Diamond 2 and Touch Pro2 are coming soon. Which one should you get if you're in the market for a new smartphone? Maybe you're a medical student and you're getting ready for your clinical clerkships. Maybe you're a recent graduate and you're getting ready for internship.

If you want something small and light (like an Apple iPhone) and you don't need a hardware keyboard, then the Touch Diamond is a great Windows Mobile phone. This phone has been around for a while but it only recently showed up on Verizon. Who knows when the updated Touch Diamond2 will appear. Let's hope it shows up soon after the BlackBerry Storm 2 appears.

If you prefer a slider that has physical keyboard buttons, then wait for the Touch Pro2. If you can't wait, then the Touch Pro is not a bad phone, but I think the Touch Pro2 will be significantly better.

HTC Touch Diamond Now on Verizon Wireless

The HTC Touch Pro has been available through Verizon Wireless for a while now. Well, they're moving backwards and they're now offering the HTC Touch Diamond (the slim version without the slideout keyboard). It still has TouchFLO™ 3D, so it's touch-friendly and it looks like a great phone for medical students, residents, and physicians who want something small, thin, and light. It's a shame that Verizon Wireless doesn't offer the Apple iPhone, but I suppose this allows other companies like HTC and RIM to market phones like the Touch Diamond and the BlackBerry Storm.

Windows Mobile 6.5: Touch Input

According to the folks over at Brighthand, Windows Mobile 6.5 is official. However, it may be a while before you see it out there (unless you happen to know some people at Microsoft). Of course, developers have been working on leaked ROMs that are based on Windows Mobile 6.5.

Smartphones are transitioning to finger-only input. The phones that are "business" or "professional" still have a hardware keyboard with physical buttons. But the vast majority of other phones running Windows Mobile are relying on screen-based touch input.

We've seen this phenomenon burst with the iPhone. Now we have the BlackBerry Storm. On the side of Windows Mobile, we have Samsung with the Omnia and HTC with the Touch Diamond, Fuze, and Touch Pro (which is a slider with a keyboard). LG has the Incite.

So are you ready to transition to a phone that only has a touch screen? Can you live without a hardware keyboard? How will this impact your search for drugs when you're using Epocrates? What if you're typing an email or editing a contact?