Database Users

Another bad impression?

Is anyone else completely unsure as to whether this device is going to be any good? For every positive post about it I see several negative ones, like this from a bloggers hands-on at the London Fashion Show Xperia event
"After playing with the phone for about 2 hours, the overriding impression is lack of polish. This is especially apparent when compared with HTC’s Touch Pro, which exudes a wow factor which the Xperia X1 seems to lack. The Panels interface seems disjointed, without any overriding theme or integration, and also seemingly a lot of duplication. The device included the Opera browser, but all the internet links still pointed to PIE. One of the panels was SPB Mobile Shell, and of course this worked differently from all the panels UI-wise. The colour scheme was different for each panel, and the graphics appeared low resolution and again, unfortunately, unpolished.
The hardware also did not impress, feeling on on the flimsy side, especially compared to the extremely solid HTC Touch Pro. The device itself felt much lighter than the Touch Pro, but not necessarily in a good way. The keyboard was not as bad as feared, but still pretty soft and squishy, and depressing one key seemed to depress the whole membrane around it. Despite having a 3 inch screen, the screen actually appeared smaller due to being more narrow. Recessed screens are also very 2007."
The most concerning thing here is the commentary on build quality - worse than the Touch Pro? I like my Touch Pro, but the build quality is only acceptable, its not like its fantastic. At least the keyboard seems better than others have had us believe, he also said the Panels interface was smooth, which is a relief to hear.
At this point I've seen so many conflicting reports I really don't know what to make of the phone at all - what do you guys think? Bottom line: I'm really looking forward to hearing from some actual users in a few weeks.

NZtechfreak said:
I'm really looking forward to hearing from some actual users in a few weeks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So do I, though I'm pretty sure that I'll buy it right from the start.
I do not care if the color scheme is out of sync with other panels and stuff like this.
I want a very good screen, a usable slide out keyboard, good reception quality, good data connection capabilities.
I'm focusing more on functionality then on beautification - I currently have a HTC TyTN and still using the default HTC green Scheme with original background. It's quite ugly but I don't care.

Hmmm...
He didn't give much details about the hardware other than the keyboard. He says that the device is light but might not be in a good way, is something that i'd like to understand. As for the screen seeming small, from what i can tell - it is only slightly smaller in width from the Touch Pro and larger in height...
Anyways... to each his own opinion, but after his first statements the following statement: "The screen was very good, touch focusing in the camera application worked well, the Handango Inhand client looked good, and appeared very easy to use, and the Panels interface was pretty smooth." is the golden statement and gives me hope.
The set he was using - as shown in the screen-shots - was Silver... to compare a black set with a silver set and then say that the silver doesn't deliver the wow factor is injustice. Silver might look cool and smooth, black is the ultimate color and i'm sure Xperia will deliver with that. Also, i'm sure there would be a much polished look on the final set...
Let's wait an see...
Best Regards.

After reading the on site review, I got an unbias feeling about the author. I might be wrong but it looks he was looking to reconfirm his own bad feelings, oing back and forth and even saying that will wait to have to review it again.

Is X1 screen really better than Diamond??

From the Spec of X1, it should be better than Diamond.
I tried a X1 on yesterday, the screen was sharp and the color looked a little bit milky. Is the problem of screen protector or the intrinsic problem?
I want to buy it but I am not sure if the screen is really good.
Any idea??

I have both of them right next to each other. If you turn both to max brightness, they're about the same. The X1 wins in terms of sharpness and obviously pixels. For color, I think the diamond is a TINY bit more vibrant, but not really noticeable.
Returning my Diamond tomorrow =)

it is better, and the fact that the screen is wider/longer portrait makes it better at reading mail etc

Thanks.
This solved my problem.
But did any of you notice any hanging in the 9 panels?
Besides does coremediaplayer work well on it??

Coming from a Touch Pro I can tell you the extra pixels are worth it. Browsing is so nice with the entire width of web pages rendered within one viewing pane...

another thing that is good compared to the diamond is that the x1 screen is more sensitive.maybe thats the reason that the screen is a little recessed on the x1.

.
The Xperia has 60000 more pixels on the screen than the Diamond/Pro.
Do you agree The xperia can show more detail and a lot sharper?
.

Pinguino1 said:
.
The Xperia has 60000 more pixels on the screen than the Diamond/Pro.
Do you agree The xperia can show more detail and a lot sharper?
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea of course, the dots per inch on the x1 is allot more, its better how ever you turn it.
the problem on the x1 is ,,,, can your eyes see the change in the higher resolution?, mine can =)

The X1 is a joy to own and I have had all the Winmo phones including Touch Diamond and Pro. The pro was pretty good but the X1 is amazing. The screen is clear enough to do general browsing on sat on your sofa. The Touch Pro wasnt IMO.

stuartforrest said:
The X1 is a joy to own and I have had all the Winmo phones including Touch Diamond and Pro. The pro was pretty good but the X1 is amazing. The screen is clear enough to do general browsing on sat on your sofa. The Touch Pro wasnt IMO.
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Click to collapse
Yes, you are right as the response for X1 is better than Touch Pro and that should be the way for WM device.
Touch Pro is really slow in response and a pain to own.

Yes I agree. I regularly had to press the screen more than once on the TP for something to happen. The X1 is far more sensitive.

My verdict
I currently own both the Touch Pro and the X1, my findings are:
The X1 screen is more responsive definitely but I don't think it is as sharp as the TP. Maybe it's because everything is a lot smaller and my eyesight aint what it used to be!
The real pain of the X1 screen is the fact that not all my favourite apps are compatible. Some make a bad attempt at fitting the screen, others appear as incredibly tiny graphics in the corner of the screen.
The X1 has niggles, like a soft reset button that can only be used once the battery cover is removed. The battery cover is also a bit of a pain to snap on/off sometimes.
You only get 9 panels (most of which are pretty useless), Touch Flo would have been great on the X1, and although you can get this 'working' on the X1 it's a bit hit and miss. Finally, the keyboard is nowhere near as good as the Touch Pro.
The Touch Pro is probably the most unreliable HTC device I have ever owned (I have owned many) It badly needs a ROM upgrade. Shame as I really like the screen and the keyboard is simply the best ever.
As I have only just bought the X1 I need a bit more time to judge its reliability. But I do think it has potential.

apprentice said:
I currently own both the Touch Pro and the X1, my findings are:
The X1 screen is more responsive definitely but I don't think it is as sharp as the TP. Maybe it's because everything is a lot smaller and my eyesight aint what it used to be!
The real pain of the X1 screen is the fact that not all my favourite apps are compatible. Some make a bad attempt at fitting the screen, others appear as incredibly tiny graphics in the corner of the screen.
The X1 has niggles, like a soft reset button that can only be used once the battery cover is removed. The battery cover is also a bit of a pain to snap on/off sometimes.
You only get 9 panels (most of which are pretty useless), Touch Flo would have been great on the X1, and although you can get this 'working' on the X1 it's a bit hit and miss. Finally, the keyboard is nowhere near as good as the Touch Pro.
The Touch Pro is probably the most unreliable HTC device I have ever owned (I have owned many) It badly needs a ROM upgrade. Shame as I really like the screen and the keyboard is simply the best ever.
As I have only just bought the X1 I need a bit more time to judge its reliability. But I do think it has potential.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't own a X1...but hope to shortly with the X1a...there was one point you made that is really irking me about my new upcoming device.
Your mention of the reset hole being under the battery cover, I agree, is a really piss off. Although you never want to have to use that pin/hole, it is bound to happen at some point. Making it a multistep process of turning over the device, popping off the battery cover and then hitting the button is rather annoying..especially if you have the device in a case (for example the upcoming Noreve case)
I like my Prophet on the other hand (and the style it has). That is the reset hole is at the bottom of the device, done and done...

hofo_mofo said:
I don't own a X1...but hope to shortly with the X1a...there was one point you made that is really irking me about my new upcoming device.
Your mention of the reset hole being under the battery cover, I agree, is a really piss off. Although you never want to have to use that pin/hole, it is bound to happen at some point. Making it a multistep process of turning over the device, popping off the battery cover and then hitting the button is rather annoying..especially if you have the device in a case (for example the upcoming Noreve case)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a pain, the manual suggests the alternative reset method... hold down the power button to switch off the device completely and then turn on again. OK, this 'works' but is still not as quick as the reset hole. I also use a software 'soft-reset' (available on many shell utilities) which is ok but then useless if the screen has locked up of course!
I don't think we'll ever get complete satisfaction with our devices. Each new model brings with it better features but often drops features that were useful in previous models. All I can say is the X1 is a very good smartphone overall.

The reset button is stupid but I reset mine nowhere near as much as my Touch Pro etc.
The Xperia is awesome and I dont agree the screen is less sharp. It is the first device I can truly sit on the sofa and broswe the web on. Way better than the Touch Pro. The only thing is the the Touch Pro screen is a little brighter, but only a tiny amount.
The Xperia is awesome hardware. I would have preferred a flusger screen or perhaps totally flush like the Pro and so far the panels are a waste of time but that doesnt mean they will always be and you dont need them anyway.
I absolutely love it!

The xperia screen is better no question about.
size, reolution and pixel density is superior to ANY mobile phone.
soft reset is not a big deal.
removing the cover to insert the stylus is nothing.
You don't plan to do this all the time.
Once your Xperia is personalized and all your foreign apps
and ports are stabled, you will reset almost never or very rarely.
I just went to AT&T store to play with the Fuze (the Pro) and
after an hour of playing with it in he store. It was a total let down.
Unresponsive, small screen hard to read and fuzzy, limited zooming,
the flush screen is a mess with fingerprints, I rather have the recessed
screen is more responsive.
When flipping to landscape the screen changes to a different display.
A lot of black and white displays.
But I liked the bounce in the keyboard keys despite that are very small.
Not bias here, because at $299 I wanted to see if it was a good alternative for the Xperia.

I agree. I rarely have to reset mine so the button is not a big deal and if I do I can usually do it by holding own the power button to turn it on and off.
The xperia is miles more stable than the buggy Touch Pro and the screen is wonderful. I scratched my Touch Pro and Diamond screen really easily and they were both very unresponsive compared to the Xperia (in fact compared to any touch screen phone I have had)

My plan is to get a drill and a file and make a hole and groove in the back case to allow access to microsd and reset hole. Should be an easy solution to the problem.

Sony Ericsson X1 or HTC Touch HD?

which would you guys pick...BUT DISREGARD THE KEYBOARD PART...just simply everything else other than the hardware keyboard....which would you guys choose

The Touch HD, bigger screen, no cracks in case, g-sensor etc.

Indeed. Generalized a lot, the Touch HD is an X1 with a bigger screen and without keyboard.

I chose the xperia because of looks keyboard and I what really made the difference that I found a really cheap 2nd hand phone still in the box.
My friend has the Touch hd and it's also very nice but I really like the keyboard.
If that doesnt matter to you, you should choose the HD.

which one has better battery life?thanks.

tornado000013 said:
which one has better battery life?thanks.
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Click to collapse
Definately the Xperia, so far at least. I think it´s partly due to the HD screen taking much more power and that the bttery is smaller in the HD. I love them both though...

Touch HD: Big screen, accelerometer
Xperia: Hardware keyboard

xperia for me.
they keyboard, the metal case, the extra buttons (optical pad, d-pad and probably teh OK button (acts as close and so on ...)
the HD has by far the better/ bigger screen, but it doesnt feel liek a cellphone after all. its a little bit to big for my taste. xperia fits my hand better.
having a gyro is fun but its not like u realy need it. i abrley used gyro features in my old phones. defacto i disabled them cause they rotated my screen when i didnt want to.
if u realy dont want a keyboard, gor for the HD.

For me the Xperia is the choice for me
1. Smaller
2. Opital pad is awesome for browsing & emails and means the screen stays clean
3. battery life is brilliant
4. Screen res is better, just smaller
5. Camera is much better. Proves pixels aren't everything. Has a light too!
6. Build quality and being all metal is nice (but heavier)
My bro loves his HD as he watches heaps of movies, so the bigger screen is a clear winner if this is your need.
Listen, both are great devices and it really depends on your needs.
Good luck.
Dev

So I wasn't the only one who had this dilemma, I was thinking exactly the same, like all previous replies, they are basically the same in terms of specs. I really like the big screen on the HD but I went for the X1 only because O2 doesn't bloody sell the HD directly and it means I would have to pay GBP15 extra a month for the line rental if I went for the HD... so the decision for me was I love my money more than a bigger screen. Also, the keyboard on the X1 is really good, although I think the virtual keyboard would probably be as good. I would say if you don't have any loyalty waiting for you from your network provider, then go for the HD, but I would guess the battery might not be as good. My X1 can last up to 3 whole days with normal usage (couple of calls, good few texts, messing about, and some internet).
Sure whichever you go for, you will have loads of fun.

Its really unfair to disregard the keyboard, because the X1 relies on this aspect of its design so firmly. Most would choose the HD over the Xperia if the keyboards are disregarded, but i don't think its fair to leave out one phone's strong point in a comparison. The X1 has a keyboard and one has to consider this when making a purchase choice, there is no changing that. Either way, i would go with the Xperia, its screen is more sensitive, it has at least one US 3G band either model, it has that awesome metal finish and really beautiful design, and is just so smooth and stylish overall, as well as having that huge battery.

when the THD was announced i did consider it along with the X1. but the size of the thing just puts me off..
its so wide across and taller than the X1. ive held the iphone and it didnt feel good in my palm. and the THD is slightly wider...

I was unsure of which to take from those 2, but i got the xperia and now after nearly 2 weeks i am satisfied with my decision, i wanted a bigger display for video but opted for a hardware keyboard and a light flash (HD no flash at all).
Now i find myself happy with it, the hardware keyboard is useful when i want to type more than 2-3 words, lot easier than onscreen keyboard.

so how about the web surfing?i saw video shows that x1's opera won't reflow text when zoom,does that cause any inconvenience?

i would go for the hd.. bigger screen. i do like the x1 for being small but if the x1 screen was 3.2 or 3.5 than it would almost be perfect for me.

in my eyes right now, the most ideal phone for me would be
the Xperia with a 3.2-3.8" screen
8-10mp camera with Xenon Flash
and
hadware keyboard lol
i know..i know..i can only keep dreaming

elite-fusion said:
in my eyes right now, the most ideal phone for me would be
the Xperia with a 3.2-3.8" screen
8-10mp camera with Xenon Flash
and
hadware keyboard lol
i know..i know..i can only keep dreaming
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha, I would love that, size has never been a problem for me when it comes to phones, although I was forced to have the horrible C092 (insurance replacement after having lost my W960) but based on your requirements, the phone would probably be the size of a netbook, but the price of a proper computer...
Does anyone else here think having a bigger phones nowadays is more stylish than having those tiny mobile phones?
Also I agree being a woman with slightly smaller hands, I think the X1 is probably the biggest I can handle with pleasure, I have always liked the iphone (being a Mac user) but the size is a bit of an issue...
After all, I am bitter coz I didn't even have a chance to choose the HD coz O2 doesn't do it... I think it's fair to say it all depends on if you like coffee to tea, both tasty and keep you awake...

Xperia for me cos...
1.Optical pad etc buttons, better handle music in -5° with u gloves on +Faster to handle
2.Better sound? Dont know never heard HD's sound quality, but in X1 it's just awesome.
3.Better battery.
4.qwerty-keyboard.
5.Looks better, imo, metal case etc.
6.Smaller.
But HD is great also.

Blackstone Replacement

Ok guys, whats next for us, anyone have any hard facts about what HTC is going to replace our lovely Touch HDs with? still have quite a while left on my contract but im curious whats around the corner....

Agreed... I was thinking about HTC HERO but I dont think I can live with a screen that small

Guys,
Has anyone noticed that since the Blackstone, HTC has not made any phones with a screen that is as big as the Touch HD? (3.8 inches). I've only seen 3.6 inches so far. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Cheers.

You are correct 3.6" max: in my opinion we must wait early 2010 to see other device like HD
D'rath

Really looking forward to the HTC Thoth.....with the current on screen keyboard....I would'nt mind leaving the physical keyboard at home.....provided they launch it soon.....but kinda looking forward to one of their devices using the new Nvidia chips as well....

Yup, i'd only really be interested in one of the new Nvidia chipset devices as a replacement.

.. And an AMOLED display .. bloomin daylight :-(

the size on the HD is just perfect, ive tried some smaller ones since and its just not the same, i can see me using this thing until its fallen to bits unless a HD2 with a similar design comes out, its a perfect iPhone compeditor we just need a bit more grunt, OLEDS would be very cool, but i think we would have to drop the stylus, the metal wires in the screen reduce the brightness by a huge amount and im not sure how OLEDs compare with backlit LCD

Having had a Touch HD and Touch Pro2 I know why they don't make such a large screen anymore.
Using the TouchPro2's screen requires minimal 'touchdown' all around the screen - its consistent, whereas the Touch HD (I've had three of these) all exhibit the same issue - The middle of the screen requires less effort to register a screen press than the outer sides - making it inconsistent. I'm assuming this is due to the larger screen size the touch element of the phone has to cover....
Don't get me wrong - I loved my Touch HD but after the usual HTC and qualcomm marlaky of missing hardware drivers I'm pretty peeved off and have now deflect to the iphone 3GS. Yes its no-where near as technically superior as the Touch HD - but the screen and hardware acceleration make it very fluid to use.
Signed up to a 24month contract with the 3GS as I doubt very much HTC will be releasing anything decent (i.e. With a decent graphics chipset) for a while yet......

Agreed with the above posts..
Having OLED would be pretty cool... and maybe a capacitive touch screen-- however I doubt this as it wouldn't be compatible with handwriting recognition. Maybe better technology will overcome this someday as for now I can only dream... :/

zoomee,
I'll have to agree. The edges are not as responsive as the center. This is especially apparent in things like the X button on the top right.
Cheers.
zoomee said:
Having had a Touch HD and Touch Pro2 I know why they don't make such a large screen anymore.
Using the TouchPro2's screen requires minimal 'touchdown' all around the screen - its consistent, whereas the Touch HD (I've had three of these) all exhibit the same issue - The middle of the screen requires less effort to register a screen press than the outer sides - making it inconsistent. I'm assuming this is due to the larger screen size the touch element of the phone has to cover....
Don't get me wrong - I loved my Touch HD but after the usual HTC and qualcomm marlaky of missing hardware drivers I'm pretty peeved off and have now deflect to the iphone 3GS. Yes its no-where near as technically superior as the Touch HD - but the screen and hardware acceleration make it very fluid to use.
Signed up to a 24month contract with the 3GS as I doubt very much HTC will be releasing anything decent (i.e. With a decent graphics chipset) for a while yet......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

ah well, so no one has any news on anything to replace the Touch HD with. Pitty, they are losing out on market share to Apple. Unless that is they already figure the market is lost to them...

Any Neotouch owners previously owned Touch HD

How would you rate the screen sensitivity compared to the HD, the HD and diamond 1 have the most insensitive screens I've used yet along with an acer F900, it seems to be something with flush screens, my older stuff with sunk in screens is far better.
Looking at the early videos of the F1 it looked like it was quite soft and sensitive, which is more to my preference than the harder HD/diamond/f900 ones.
Anybody?

Ok, in case anybody else is wondering, the answer is yes the screen is a lot more sensitive, takes around half the pressure to register, especially in the corners.

It s one of the best sensitive touch i ve ever tried.Maybe the iphone it s a little better

I previously owned a Touch HD, actually, i have a S200 and a HD2.
The touch feeling is much more better on the S200, compare to the Touch HD.... Specially with fingers only. There is not so much difference with stylus.
But it"s far far away from HD2 capacitive screen....Despite of stylus sometime missing...

Indeed it is one of the most sensitive resistive screens i have ever used.
Tip : Make sure when calibrating the screen to use very little pressure,that makes it even more responsive.

I mainly use the stylus, massive improvement over HD, as well as doing most things five times faster, excellent replacement for people who like the size and style of the HD with a decent cpu and responsive resistive screen.
Am using Kubino's clean 6.1 rom, even better for me