Smartphone for Vista 64?

August 19, 2008 9:14 AM

I am jonesin' for a smartphone. The catch: Which ones will work with 64-bit Vista?

I have a couple of parameters: It has to be a Sprint phone and I'd like a QWERTY keyboard. Cheaper is, of course, better. I've spent hours now looking at Web sites and forums for enlightenment, but it seems that for every person saying a phone works with Vista 64, somebody else is incredibly frustrated. The phone manufacturers themselves are remarkably vague. I even talked to a Sprint agent who had to ask a supervisor what worked (Blackberry and HTC), but I need reassurance. Do any of you have Sprint smartphones that work with Vista 64-bit? If so, which ones?

posted by Shoggoth to Technology (6 answers total)

One would think that any Windows Mobile phone will work fine with it. I've got the Treo 800w from Sprint and I quite like it. Certainly not cheap though, particularly if you're not getting it with the new 2 year contract price.
posted by sinfony at 9:53 AM on August 19, 2008

Also, come to think of it, I can't think of any particular reason why a given phone would not work with Vista 64. It's not like they need drivers or anything. Pretty much any smartphone is just going to plug in via USB/connect over Bluetooth and then sync up with Outlook. Vista 64-bit shouldn't make that any more or less difficult than Vista 32-bit. What kind of trouble have forum people been having?
posted by sinfony at 10:35 AM on August 19, 2008

I am using a Windows Mobile smartphone (HTC Excalibur/T-Mobile Dash running WM 6.1) and it works perfectly with Vista x64 Home Premium. Syncing is easy via Windows Mobile Device Center.
posted by roomwithaview at 10:43 AM on August 19, 2008

Well...

I have an HTC 6800 (or P4000) from Telus - syncing has never been a problem with Vista x64 - though generally I sync through our Exchange infrastructure wirelessly.

What I have been unable to get working, is using it as a data modem when tethered.
posted by jkaczor at 12:24 PM on August 19, 2008

Response by poster: To answer sinfony's question, the problem is really with Bluetooth drivers for USB dongles and with desktop software for the smartphone. When folks have problems, it's with syncing. Palm actually comes right out and admits that its software that handles synching via USB will not work with 64-bit Vista. So that leaves out the Centro and Treo, though some have developed elaborate (and difficult to replicate) workarounds.

It looks like maybe my best best is to get something that runs Windows Mobile, make sure there's a good return policy, and hope for the best.

Thanks to all.
posted by Shoggoth at 1:57 PM on August 19, 2008

Not all of the Treos are out, only those that run PalmOS. Any Treo with a model number ending in "w" is a Windows Mobile phone and doesn't use any Palm software for syncing. Vista comes with the Windows Mobile Device Center, which will handle all of that.

If your computer doesn't have Bluetooth built-in, I imagine it would be easy either to pick up a dongle that does work with Vista 64-bit or just sync over USB.
posted by sinfony at 3:10 PM on August 19, 2008