MDA gone from T-Mobile's website
by Brian White 
posted Apr 5th 2007 at 8:33PM
We were slightly thrilled when T-Mobile introduced the MDA and SDA Windows Mobile units roughly a year ago to thunderous applause of T-Mobile customers who wanted a branded Windows Mobile unit in their hot hands. The MDA was T-Mobile's valiant attempt to satisfy the hunger for an EDGE-enabled and fully fledged WM Pocket PC Phone with built-in WiFi (like the sister phone, Cingular's 8125). Bu, alas, the time has come to kiss the MDA goodbye it seems. As such, the handset has completely disappeared from T-Mobile's website. Is this just a short-term omission or is the MDA gone for good? Is this a sign that a replacement is near? Until then, perhaps T-Mobile peeps are out of luck in the Pocket PC department.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brian @ Apr 5th 2007 9:31PM
The MDA is finally gone. This will be making room for another HTC device due out beginning of May.
Chris @ Apr 5th 2007 10:23PM
Wouldn't be surprised to see the HTC Kaiser take it's place. Why get rid of it though? The old Blackberries are still there. They can release a new HTC device and leave the MDA there, at least until then. Is T-Mobile going all-out BlackBerry?
Either way, doesn't matter to me. Unless they replace it with an upcoming Treo, I'm jumping ship and going to Cingular as soon as my contract ends this year.
Dean @ Apr 5th 2007 11:16PM
The MDA replacement comes out around May 7th. The two names I've heard it called are the Atlas or the Wing.
Treo Cell Phone Fan @ Apr 5th 2007 11:08PM
The logical replacement would be a phone like the Cingular 8525. However, T-Mobile doesn't really have 3G network, I doubt this will happen soon. How about replacing that with a Treo? T-Mobile seems to be the only one that doesn't carry Treo phones.
SVergara @ Apr 6th 2007 12:13AM
So long, MDA! The model has been obsolete and discontinued for some time now (thankfully).
Brian and Dean: I hope you're right. One of my biggest gripes about T-Mobile is that they haven't officially announced a true successor to the MDA.
Now the question remains: do I go the Blackberry 8300 route, or do I want a WM device?
Harry @ Apr 6th 2007 12:22AM
I will say this - I have had both - winmo5 and Blackberry.
For me it's like this - if you dont' mind a lot of futzing around, winmo5 is okay. I use a PPC 6700 on sprint and it rocks. HOWEVER - like I sad - it requires a lot of fiddling.
Blackberry - it just always works. zero fiddling around.
But it didn't have a camera and there was no file system.
But for email, chat, and text - you really can't beat Blackberry.
ah - another major difference - most blackberry devices have tiny tiny little keyboards. The keyboard on the PPC-6700 is way more spacious. But I dont like the feedback. It's too darn mushy.
wako @ Apr 6th 2007 1:16AM
@Harry
I agree that the WM5 requires fiddling while BlackBerry doesnt. However I find after fiddling with it, you can make WM5 whatever you want. It becomes a much more robust platform after you finish customizing everything. I guess if someone is lazy and just wanted something to work perfectly out of the box, a blackberry is great, but for geeks like me who like to customize things to my own way, WM5 is the best hands down :)
Im glad that MDA is finally being retired. The phone is a great phone, but its just too much of a brick! Im excited to see what is out in the horizon.. hopefully the P4350! That is one SEXY phone...
AlexF @ Apr 6th 2007 2:47AM
I went to a T-mobile store yesterday and asked about this, hoping that maybe I could get a deal on some excess MDA stock. No such luck. The new phone is the same as the 8525 (is that the HTC Hermes?). They showed me a pic of it on their computer. It's the same, except it's dark blue with silver accents (the buttons). Look very nice actually. They didn't know when it was coming out, but said within the next 2 months.
It's got the same 8525 specs. They stated that T-Mobile will be HSDPA by around the end of 2007 or early-mid 2008. They said that T-Mobile is basically planning on turning on the HSDPA lights all at once everywhere (or at least all of their major markets) rather than roll it out area by area.
AlexF @ Apr 6th 2007 10:51AM
More info that I forgot... The sales reps called it the MDA III. The pics I saw were *definitely* those of a dark blue 8525, and NOT the "MDA III" that T-mobile is rolling out in Europe...
If T-mo rolls out the same MDA III as in Europe, rather than the 8525 I think I'll take the Cingular 8525 plunge as the MDA III has no 3G and no WiFi :-(
Jeff @ Apr 6th 2007 7:39AM
Hmmmm....Do I wait for the TMo upgrade or do I just get an unlocked 8525 off of ebay. Since nothing is definite ebay is looking like a winner.
DanD @ Apr 6th 2007 9:20AM
Responding to Quote "It's got the same 8525 specs. They stated that T-Mobile will be HSDPA by around the end of 2007 or early-mid 2008"......
Alex..What Market are you in? It seems that major markets wont go live with 3G until 4Q 07..Alot of Reps are saying the Harold is going to be the replacement... Can anyone else verify a Harold vs Hermes release rumour?
AlexF @ Apr 6th 2007 11:03AM
I'm in Atlanta, BTW.
I am a bit confused now... I am assuming here that the HTC Harold is the MDA III. They called it the MDA III, but the pic they showed me was a dark blue 8525. And I'm positive about the pic. The 8525 doesn't really look like the MDA III as far as the controls go. The MDA III has a circular dial.
I would think it would be kind of a dumb move to release the MDA III since it has no G3 & no WiFi. Wifi is something that many getting PDA phones are now starting to expect as a feature (not everyone, but more and more) and if they go live with HSDPA in late 07 (Q4) or early-mid 08, they would have NO HSDPA capable phones. If they release the T-mo 8525 clone, then at least they would have *1* HSDPA phone...
It *could* be that they roll out the MDA III next month, and then towards the end of the year roll out the 8525 to coincide with HSDPA going live, but the guys at the T-mo store gave no indication of that at all.
Ivan @ Apr 6th 2007 2:46PM
well ive ben working at t mobile for about a year already..ive heard that there is a new MDA called the MDA atlas which is a 2megapixel camera and mp3 player and has EDGE support..colors for the MDA are BLACK,SILVER OR GREY and upcoming phone for tmobile are.the cherry blossom pink moto rizr and black motorizr soon to hit store in middle may
DanD @ Apr 6th 2007 3:03PM
@ Ivan well sounds like the HTC Herald to me from the specs you are describing..http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=669
It is a pity its basically thinner and 2MP Shooter..still a pitiful 200mhz proc. But man if Tmo rolled out an 8525 , I'd sh*t gold eggs and mail em to engadget mobile (easter style)
DanD @ Apr 6th 2007 4:16PM
Ive also heard t-mobile reps throwing the "Wing" name around, I bet the Wing http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=728 replaces the SDA
dubz @ Apr 6th 2007 5:42PM
I always figured that the Herald would be the sucessor to the MDA because, well it actually is. The tytn is practically a whole other level, like a super upgrade to the MDA.
Alex, which way did the keyboard slide out? left=Hermes right=Herald
It doesnt matter how the nav buttons looked, its just a different housing for a different carrier. Look at the MDA compared to the 8125, theyre the same phone but just look different.
Dan, I doubt that Tmo will release the Wings b4 the Vox. The Vox already released in Europe and its not 3G so i suspect that this may be headed to Tmo. now maybe when Tmo's 3G is up and running I could see Tmo releasing the Wings sometime next year once the 3G is nationally rolled out.
Dean @ Apr 6th 2007 5:44PM
The new device will also be Win Mobile 6.0. The Dash will also start shipping with 6.0 shortly thereafter.
Ivan @ Apr 6th 2007 6:10PM
just in today at the t mobile store Signs that have the T Mobile Dash-Color....
which is the same old dash with the WM 6 and the ugly gold-grey wat ever is is to be a nice pearly white or an onix black which will be hitting shelves this month
Derrick @ Apr 6th 2007 6:40PM
I'll take a Treo 750 please...
I really don't get why T-Mobile hasn't had any Treos as of late...I think the last one they had was the 600.
If they were really smart, they could release the 750 with 3G disabled (it runs on GSM/EDGE too, right?) and then when they do roll out the network, they could issue an update.
Anyone know if there is a 750 variant coming out for Verizon anytime soon?
AlexF @ Apr 7th 2007 2:13PM
Hopefully this post will make it, cause my last one didn't.
dubz: The photo did not show the keyboard out.
The 8125 and the MDA look different because they ARE different. THey have a different keyboard. The graphics proc on the MDA was faster than the 8125, etc. They are not identical devices.
OK, THIS is the HTC Herald:
http://x.msmobiles.com/portal/images/phones/htc/htc-p4350-2.jpg
THIS is the HTC Hermes:
http://www.ubergizmo.com/photos/2006/6/htc-hermes-finalized.jpg
The photo I saw looked EXACTLY like the Hermes pic above, except that the dark grey areas were a navy color. The Hermes IS the 8525.
Some more links to follow:
msmobiles.com/news.php/5458.html
www.mydigitallife.us/2006/08/tmobile_mda_fol.html
www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/03/09/hands-on-with-the-htc-hermes-t-mobile-mda-vario-ii/
AlexF @ Apr 7th 2007 2:14PM
Last part of that last link is:
hands-on-with-the-htc-hermes-t-mobile-mda-vario-ii/
Don Kelly @ Apr 8th 2007 10:37PM
The latest rumors are that T-Mobile will release either the Herald (200mhz but faster than the Dash, with Edge) or the Wing (possibly 400mhz and UMTS HDSPA) in the next few months.
See Howard Forums for more plausible rumors! Everyone gets a different answer from their local T-Mo rep.
Don Kelly @ Apr 9th 2007 12:15AM
I stand corrected over at Ho-Fo
It will likely be the Herald aka "Wing" according to rumors. 200mhz but faster than the Dash.
DanD @ Apr 9th 2007 12:52PM
Reading Howard Fourms and calling a few Reps...Whats with this 4Q release nonsense? Anyone else can verify? I simply dont bleieve there will be a Pocket PC void for Tmobile for 7 months....
Toddl @ Apr 9th 2007 2:51PM
I believe this will be the new T-Mobile Wing
http://www.itechnews.net/2007/03/05/htc-wing-s730-wm6-pda-phone/
AlexF @ Apr 9th 2007 5:02PM
If it were a Dec. release then they wouldn't have gotten rid of the MDA so soon.
I have heard dates:
May 7th
May 23rd
Sometime in June
Sometime in July
Sometime in August.
I think whatever it ends up being, it will be in May.
DJL @ May 15th 2007 3:09AM
T-mobile needs to get back to the Treo soon. I don't know how much more one can take of current T mobile PDA devices. Who ever had the idea of a telescopic stylus must have not realized that it is a necessity and not to make old Treo users feel comfortable. My phone number and I will be leaving T-Mobile soon if the new devices are not vast improvements.
Nicole @ Sep 21st 2007 1:00AM
T-Mobile replaced the MDA with the T-Mobile Wing
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/Detail.aspx?device=acc8102d-4506-4eaa-bc2f-9c7b8ec1b1e0
http://www.t-mobile.com/company/PressReleases_Article.aspx?assetName=Prs_Prs_20070522&title=T-Mobile%20Unveils%20a%20New%20Full-Featured%20Smartphone,%20the%20T-Mobile%20Wing