I happily own an HTC S730, a Windows Mobile 6 powered smartphone.
While I just suggest you to goggle for its specifications, here I just want to list the software I installed on my S730, with a very brief review for each.
GooSync
I use Google Calendar to organize my daily agenda and my meetings. Having it synchronized with your smartphone is just a click with GooSync. You just have to register to the website and they will act as a sort of proxy between your device and Google Calendar. The software that you have to install on your smartphone is really minimal, it's just a small application with one only important button: "Sync". No configuration is needed, a part from the login details of your Google Calendar.
The software and the service is completely free, with some limitations. For my use, these limitations are really minor, for example you can only synchronize with one Google Calendar, and you can only synchronize appointments in a time window of one month from now.
You can also purchase the full version, which some extra features (for example it can also synchronize your contacts).
Fring and Skype
One of the greatest thing of having a smartphone while abroad is that you can use Skype and other Voip programs to call friends for free or for very cheap. I'm really undecided between two Voip clients for my HTC S730 (I'm keeping both, right now): Fring and Skype.
The good thing of Fring is that it is very light, it access automatically all your phone contacts + your Skype contacts, and in this way it actually replaces you Contact application. When you find your contact in the list, you can call him/her via Skype, via regular phone call, send an SMS, chat with him, all in a completely integrated way.
Unfortunately, it looks like it's a little bit slower to load the Skype contact list, and for this reason I'm keeping the regular Skype application on my smartphone (which by the way has also nicer chat interface).
Try them and decide (ok keep both).
Navizon
Navizon is a wireless positioning system that works a little bit like a GPS, only that it uses Cellular Towers and Wifi access points instead of satellites. This software relies on a community of users who contribute data to the system (WiFi and Cellular towers) when they have a GPS device. And the cool thing is that we can earn money doing it! If you like the idea and you want to register, please use this link or be sure to mention the referral code 5D5B5D585D .
If you buy the full version (which you can obtain also by mapping enough APs and CTs) you can cache the data and you can have very precise localization with WiFi Access Points. See for example my Contacts page to see how I'm using this info.
Plus, you can use the great Virtual GPS feature, that is make it emulate a GPS receiver on a virtual serial port. This way other software, for example Google Maps, can use Navizon to localize you on the map (way better than the integrated cell phone localization in Google Maps).
GPS Utilities
GPS Utilities is an application that allows to retrieve a lot of information from your external (bluetooth) GPS device. If your using Navizon, you can use the Virtual Port feature to have both working together.
Some of the many features are:
- information about satellites and signal quality
- compass and tachometer
- localization and tracking on any map you upload
- tracking log and statistics
- waypoints and point of interests (POI)
It's not free, it costs $17.95. You can download a 20-day trial on the website. I purchased the full version (by the way, they have a great and kind customer support!) and I used it, for example, to track my hiking trips (go to Escursioni CAI - in Italian - to see the results).
Google Maps
Google Maps for Mobile is available directly from the link above, and the easiest way to install it is to navigate to http://www.google.com/gmm with your mobile browser.
You can then browse maps, ask for driving directions, look for businesses and places, and so on. Please note that an active internet connection is required even for browsing maps, which are not cached (differently from Navizon, for example).
