MDA Compact IV Identical to Diamond?

[trentend]

I know this sounds like a stupid question, and I know the MDA Compact IV is a repackaged diamond, but unfortunately the t-mobile published specifications are next to useless.

Is the Compact IV identical to the diamond? Same memory, same chipsets, nothing disabled (I already know the rom wont have windows live and messenger installed)?

Why is it so much lighter? How come it's a slightly different shape? Has anyone categorically determined that there are no technical differences?

I'm about to buy ten for work, probably tomorrow, and I don't want to look like a chump and have to send them back. The alternative is renew on orange, but t-mobile are offering us a serious inducement (ie a hugely competitive contract) to get us to switch that Orange just can't match.

Still, if the handset is crippled, and ultimately wont take a new ROM, I'll stick with our existing provider to get a more vanilla diamond.

Currently I'm on a tytn (SPV M3100 variant), with CRC's excellent WM 6.1 ROM. A rock solid performer. Can I expect the MDA C iv to be quicker, or am I going to be disappointed until t-mobile issue a more up to date official ROM?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[ekksman]

go for it theres not much difference in the two i have the compact - flashed a diamond rom just fine

[ljames28]

There are no specification differences other than the weight, the weight reduction may be down to the rounded corners and theres no metal strip around the edge.

You can put any rom on it just like the Diamond. It's faster than my Tytn which i had as obviously it has a faster cpu and more ram.

Also, the call and home/back buttons are switched round but that doesnt cause any problems with roms.

[2004mark]

l was under the impression that it had less RAM than the diamond (120 something rather than the 192)

[ljames28]

It doesnt. 64mb is taken up by the graphics just like the diamond.

[trentend]

Thank you all very much, for the feedback and re-assurance. I'll take the plunge tomorrow.

[trentend]

....just as a follow up, I took delivery of ten MDA Compact IV's yesterday. Very happy with it, even on the stock rom with T-Mobile branding (which we will stay with while in our warranty period). It strikes me that the diamond (variant) is the first powerful WM device I've had, that is also like a phone, rather than like a pda (my last device was a tytn). It's a powerful package.

Thank you for the advice.

[schmeichler]

T-Mobile turned the hardware-buttons (call/hang-up - home/back) in comparison to the diamond. Although this doesn't seem to be the case on the Victor....

But I guess this doesn't matter with ROM-Upgrading (hard-wired not assigned functions?)

[dickr43]

....just as a follow up, I took delivery of ten MDA Compact IV's yesterday. Very happy with it, even on the stock rom with T-Mobile branding (which we will stay with while in our warranty period). It strikes me that the diamond (variant) is the first powerful WM device I've had, that is also like a phone, rather than like a pda (my last device was a tytn). It's a powerful package.

Thank you for the advice.

You can change the T-Mobile branding without loosing warranty. Have a look here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=409901

I've done it on mine and am very happy with the changes. A hard reset wil restore everything.

[dwergsnot]

Specwise the MDA Compact IV is completely identical to the Touch Diamond.

But, beware:

The Compact VI sadly is NOT compatible with extended batterycovers for the Touch Diamond :mad: While the new battery itself will fit snugly, the new batterycover cannot "lock on". The latches on the inside of the backcover are placed differently in both devices.
So I returned the battery and now i'm hoping that the Victor wil sport the same type of batterycover as the Compact IV.

[trentend]

You can change the T-Mobile branding without loosing warranty. Have a look here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=409901

I've done it on mine and am very happy with the changes. A hard reset wil restore everything.

I was aware of that, and will have a look at it, one of the ten units I purchased will be a spare, as that sim card is allocated for pbx to gsm gateway. On the spare I will play with configuration. Nevertheless, the point remains that I consider the diamond/mda compact iv much more viable as a powerful pda phone than one might imagine from reading many of the posts on here.

I currently have nine relatively happy users, who will become very happy users over the next few days as they become familiar with their phones. It is only by the exalted standards of high level xda added features and customisation that many people (in my view) come here to register their dissatisfaction. This phone, even in an off the shelf branded form, is a spectacularly powerful and functional business phone.

We are very happy with it, and I think that bears stating to reassure people considering a purchase. I also played with my compact iv side by side with an iPhone in carphone whorehouse this morning. The iPhone seemed very bulky, ostentatious, and slow in comparison. Personally I have no regrets over the decision (not that the iPhone is in any way a viable business phone, again in my own opinion).

Specwise the MDA Compact IV is completely identical to the Touch Diamond.

But, beware:

The Compact VI sadly is NOT compatible with extended batterycovers for the Touch Diamond :mad: While the new battery itself will fit snugly, the new batterycover cannot "lock on". The latches on the inside of the backcover are placed differently in both devices.
So I returned the battery and now i'm hoping that the Victor wil sport the same type of batterycover as the Compact IV.

Again, I was aware of that before my purchase thanks to the information available on this site. Clearly the external form is different, with different dimensions and curved corners. This means we will need mda compact iv specific cases (for a truly good fit) and covers, and it may affect external accessories like cradles. If you know in advance it allows you to decide whether that is likely to be a problem. I've actually ordered some diamond screen protectors, and expect to have to manually adapt them to fit the compact iv. In time specific accessories that require adaption to the form factor should become available.

Teeter is spectacular demonstration of the phones feel. People I've shown it cannot believe how well you can apparently "feel" the ball bearing.

It's a very fine phone.