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I've been buying HTC devices every year since the very first XDA came out. It seems to get harder each year to choose a device as more choice becomes available. I don't think the Athena was out last year (or only just out and a bit out of my price range) so it wasn't really a consideration.
Anyway I went for an Orbit/Armatis which I've really enjoyed, it has just about everything I need. Perhaps the only improvements I would make is 3G, VGA, more memory, faster processor and I do like the sound of the tv-out. So sounds like the Athena is still on the cards.
I'm just a bit worried I've missed the boat. What I mean is, is it a bit outdated now? Will they bring out a smaller/lighter version soon?
Other questions you could answer for me are as follows..
How have you all coped with the size?
For those of you using them as phone (rather than a umpc) how have they stood upto being in your pocket (without the case/keyboard)
I've heard they're not too good playing Divx movies (700mb variety). Is this true. Will the Roms available here correct this?
Any more advice great fully received.
Many thanks
DannyBoy
Now is good many peoploe are looking for something new Umpc's, Asus eee or shift type things and a few going on ebay mine will be gone soon i expect but its a great device if ur using as a phone a lot get a good BT headset like LG Style-i
Id recommend it, as long as you wanted a mini-pc, rather than a phone. The internet features, harddisk, screen, and connectivity options really tick all the boxes, and the enhanced roms really improve the product.
If you want to use it as a phone, be prepared to use a BT headset or the wired option, or the speakerphone. I can't fault it on sound quality, but if you're a pub regular, you'll feel like a bit of a tit having it on your belt or in your pocket. Either that, or face swapping your sim out to another more portable phone. Luckily I've got a work mobile as well, so I can take that out with me.
The TV out is pretty good as is the VGA, provided you're not putting it on too large a screen (only 640x480 res). But is ok on my work monitor, watching last nights telly programme that I missed, or a film. One thing to be wary of, is that you MUST run the movies off the Microdrive (or memory). If you try and play it off a USB keyfob, its just too slow to support it. MP3's are ok (although can take a fair few seconds to load).
All in all, it comes down to if you want a mini-pc, or a phone with PDA functionality.
the size took quite a bit of getting used to but once u get the feel of its awsome w/the 5" touch screen.i use my jabra bt8010 and its probably the best bluetooth stereo headset for the athena coz its got a caller ID and vibrate.i usually keep the athena in a pouch or in my pocket.i dont use the case since it makes it fatter and kind of akward to hold.playing divx,xvid,flv..etc videos are great on the athena.there are specific settings to be made in TCPMP and once they are set ur good to go.ive never had any problems playing videos after making the settings.just make sure u go look for a demo or someone with on and test it out for a while and try to get a feel for it.hope this helps
If you're mainly looking for a phone, I suggest you look elsewhere. But if you want internet on the move, this is just about the only device in the market currently. The smaller screens may be VGA, but the're too small to run REALVGA program. REALVGA is one of the greatest improvements to WM6's useability. If I have access to a notebook, I would of course prefer to use that to surf internet. But on the road, do I want to carry a ASUS eee with me just to surf internet or would I prefer to just carry an Athena? The answer is clearly Athena. But please don't expect the speed and functionality of a full web browser like some do.
Besides the large VGA screen, the presence of harddisk AND MicroSDHC is also brings about benefits that no other devices AFAIK can offer. By installing all your programs in the Microdrive, you give yourself the ability to swap the MicroSDHC (currently 8GB each max) in and out. I place all my musics, pictures, and videos on MicroSDHC. This means I have UNLIMITED storage capacity. Currently I have close to 80 applications on my microdrive, and uses less than 10% of microdrive's capacity.
GPS works great on screen of this size, although it looks good enough on smaller screen.
Another application of mine that works great on this 5 inch screen is Meta Trader 4, which displays chart of shares, currencies, commodities. The ability to know what's happening to your investments anywhere anytime is just fantastic.
Carrying it around has not been an issue for me. I have a home made belt pouch with velcro flap. I carry the device without keyboard, as a software keyboard called Tengo is far better than the hardware keyboard anyway.
I don't have any issue using the phone even without bluetooth headset, but others prefer to use it with one. Someone just posted a wristwatch styled headset which should complement this device perfectly. Google "bluevision watch" and you will be able to read more about this.
I don't have any issue with playing videos. It looks excellent from my perspective (always smooth and clear), although some think that it is crap, something I could never never understand. I don't compare that with my home theatre system's quality.
Next comes the camera. Its quality under bright daylight is excellent, but in indoor situation it is a bit lacking.
MP3 plays very very well on this device. Battery life is reasonably long. Depending on the use, about a quarter of people polled in another thread run it down in less than one day, a quarter in one day, a quarter in two days.. something like that.
In summary, this is the best convergent device in the market with the most ideal size imaginable. HTC SHIFT has got the size completely wrong IMHO. It is too big to be carried around 24/7 whereas Athea is not.
I've been a very very satisfied owner for about 9 months now. If I lost it today, my next phone is still going to be Athena, of course, unless they come up with a skinnier and lighter version, with FM radio, TV tuner, and infra, without reducing the size of the screen.
Thankyou for giving such detailed opinions guys. It is much appreciated.
I think i'll get one but probably second hand rather than start a new contract.
Looking forward to playing with the Rom's in here. they look great.
The athena is a cracking device, but for me it was a case of it falling between two devices and not doing either as well as they could be done.
too small to be a laptop and too big to be fone
so i have gone down the separate small fone and small laptop route.
i found after a while the phone function just became a pain in the bum and i actually wanted XP and not WM6 functionality
spacecat said:
The athena is a cracking device, but for me it was a case of it falling between two devices and not doing either as well as they could be done.
too small to be a laptop and too big to be fone
so i have gone down the separate small fone and small laptop route.
i found after a while the phone function just became a pain in the bum and i actually wanted XP and not WM6 functionality
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And I'm the opposite - I want a machine for instant email access and web access with GPS etc which I can carry. I ahve a computer at work and at home.
The truth is, I'm afraid, you're going to have to make up your own mind! It is a big device but very usable (especially with a bluetooth headset). Everyone has their own opinion of it / uses for it but they may not match yours.
if you use the GPS function in a car its a no brainer, as its nearly as a cheap as a decent satnav and can do a lot more.
otherwise ..like he said
spacecat said:
if you use the GPS function in a car its a no brainer, as its nearly as a cheap as a decent satnav and can do a lot more.
otherwise ..like he said
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GPS in a car does not meet my need. Only a mobile one allows me to find direction after parking my car. You don't have to drive to enjoy the benefits. I use it to find points of interest such as restaurants . I use it while walking downtown to get to unfamiliar places rather than carrying a heavy streets directory.
Only a mobile one lets me play golf with a golf GPS software, telling me how far I'm from water hazards, from green, from trees, etc.
Only mobile GPS allows me to bring it overseas.
Also, after trying out a few 'dedicated' GPS, they are just inferior to mobile ones in terms of functionality.
Sure you can tell me that there are dedicated mobile GPS around which can satisfy my needs. But how many devices do you want to carry? For me, I want to take with me only one convergent device. I don't want a dedicated phone, another dedicated GPS, another dedicated web surfing subnotebook, another dedicated mp3 player, another camera, another video recorder. I'm sure there are people who fervently wants the best equipment dedicated to every single task, but that's their choice. I'm very happy to have made the Athena choice and sticking with it until a better convergent device comes along.
eaglesteve said:
GPS in a car does not meet my need. Only a mobile one allows me to find direction after parking my car. You don't have to drive to enjoy the benefits. I use it to find points of interest such as restaurants . I use it while walking downtown to get to unfamiliar places rather than carrying a heavy streets directory.
Only a mobile one lets me play golf with a golf GPS software, telling me how far I'm from water hazards, from green, from trees, etc.
Only mobile GPS allows me to bring it overseas.
Also, after trying out a few 'dedicated' GPS, they are just inferior to mobile ones in terms of functionality.
Sure you can tell me that there are dedicated mobile GPS around which can satisfy my needs. But how many devices do you want to carry? For me, I want to take with me only one convergent device. I don't want a dedicated phone, another dedicated GPS, another dedicated web surfing subnotebook, another dedicated mp3 player, another camera, another video recorder. I'm sure there are people who fervently wants the best equipment dedicated to every single task, but that's their choice. I'm very happy to have made the Athena choice and sticking with it until a better convergent device comes along.
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Click to collapse
? im referrering to the GPS system in the Athena
Let's not forget I've had it built into a device literally half the size of the Athena for a year so its not really a selling point for the Athena.
Have you seen this? ...7501!
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3153290&Sku=H224-1010
As an ex Clie pda user, I have ditched the little keyboard and use the WM6 version of graffiti text input, and have never looked back at the keyboard again. With the supplied leather case, it improves portability so much it can fit into the back of my jeans pocket.
Haven't loaded gps, but will in the coming year.
A must is the Jabra bt8010 for stereo bluetooth, and phone use, so you don't have to pull out the athena everytime. Otherwise you are using the speaker phone to talk to people, not the best.
I would have to say, if you want the screen size, the Athena is hard to beat when you look at the spec sheet. Most UMPC's don't have a cell phone built in. Most cell phones don't have a big screen that give you pda functionality.
I would say the only other alternatives is the HTC Touch, if you can live with the smaller screen size.
My only gripes on the Athena:
Video performance @30fps is BAD
Occasional A2DP stereo bluetooth skips, A2DP is so good I would never use an iPhone or iPod or any phone without it again!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If they come out with an Athena2, this is what I would like to see:
Solid State Hard Disc of at least 32GB
Solid video performance
Drop the keyboard - it scared away a lot of people with the gimmicky magnet attachment and small useless size.
To sum up, if you like the large screen of the PDA's (480x320), and love pda functionality, then you will like the Athena. It lets me carry only one device.
DON'T FORGET THAT THE CES SHOW IS ONLY A MONTH AWAY, there could be a new device that manages to top the Athena there, lets hope it is the Athena 2!
keithwwalker said:
As an ex Clie pda user, I have ditched the little keyboard and use the WM6 version of graffiti text input, and have never looked back at the keyboard again. With the supplied leather case, it improves portability so much it can fit into the back of my jeans pocket.
Haven't loaded gps, but will in the coming year.
A must is the Jabra bt8010 for stereo bluetooth, and phone use, so you don't have to pull out the athena everytime. Otherwise you are using the speaker phone to talk to people, not the best.
I would have to say, if you want the screen size, the Athena is hard to beat when you look at the spec sheet. Most UMPC's don't have a cell phone built in. Most cell phones don't have a big screen that give you pda functionality.
I would say the only other alternatives is the HTC Touch, if you can live with the smaller screen size.
My only gripes on the Athena:
Video performance @30fps is BAD
Occasional A2DP stereo bluetooth skips, A2DP is so good I would never use an iPhone or iPod or any phone without it again!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If they come out with an Athena2, this is what I would like to see:
Solid State Hard Disc of at least 32GB
Solid video performance
Drop the keyboard - it scared away a lot of people with the gimmicky magnet attachment and small useless size.
To sum up, if you like the large screen of the PDA's (480x320), and love pda functionality, then you will like the Athena. It lets me carry only one device.
DON'T FORGET THAT THE CES SHOW IS ONLY A MONTH AWAY, there could be a new device that manages to top the Athena there, lets hope it is the Athena 2!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with your wishlist. I'd add to that TV tuner, FM radio, infra. Would also be nice to shed some weight and thickness.
I hope there is an Athena 2 soon. This is a wonderful size for a convergent device.
Just a reiteration here, but it is about personal preference. I tried to get along with the athena with pks rom, and although it was noticeably better than before it still didn't quite do it for me. I had constant complaints about the quality of voice calls using the speaker phone, and although a bluetooth headset worked fine, for me it still wasn't as practical as i would've liked. I went back yesterday to an n95, and bought a nokia n800 for portable browsing and email (although the n95 is more than capable here anyway). The two combined cost me about the price of an athena, and for my personal needs they work together to give a superior experience. The n95s gps locks on much quicker than the athena's so is in many ways a more practical device to use for personal navigation - especially with google maps' integration of the internal gps. The browser on the n95 is also better than pocket internet explorer, but when required i have the unbeatable os2008 browser to hand with the n800. Nokia have also just released a firmware update for the n95 which makes everything snappy and enjoyable - how it should have been all along really! The only thing i really miss about the athena is texting on a big screen. For some reason i really enjoyed that. The wmwifirouter app was useful too, though that's not exclusive to the athena. I think among the current fold of handsets the only thing that sets the athena apart is the screen size. There is nothing else on the device that can't be seen elsewhere. It just didn't cut the mustard for me as i had to persevere too much and it was a little embarrassing to use, but as they say - each to their own. One final point i will make is that i DON'T THINK the athena is a good convergence device. It provides no more than a big screen. Video performance is often shoddy, browsing does not offer full internet, the camera is pretty crap and usb host is only really of use for hid and playing music\photos. Aside from the large screen, usb host and touchscreen the n95 8gb offers: better multimedia playback (multi codec with coreplayer), a far superior camera, with shockingly better video recording functionality, integrated gps which locks on quicker than the athena and a quicker browser which allows effortless access to all but flash sites (soon to be remedied. With flash lite 3.0).. If the athena is a convergance device then the n95 8gb is just as good, particularly given it's size. You can even use a bluetooth keyboard with it. P.s. I typed all this on an n95 and it was a piece of cake!.
leoni1980 said:
Just a reiteration here, but it is about personal preference. I tried to get along with the athena with pks rom, and although it was noticeably better than before it still didn't quite do it for me. I had constant complaints about the quality of voice calls using the speaker phone, and although a bluetooth headset worked fine, for me it still wasn't as practical as i would've liked. I went back yesterday to an n95, and bought a nokia n800 for portable browsing and email (although the n95 is more than capable here anyway). The two combined cost me about the price of an athena, and for my personal needs they work together to give a superior experience. The n95s gps locks on much quicker than the athena's so is in many ways a more practical device to use for personal navigation - especially with google maps' integration of the internal gps. The browser on the n95 is also better than pocket internet explorer, but when required i have the unbeatable os2008 browser to hand with the n800. Nokia have also just released a firmware update for the n95 which makes everything snappy and enjoyable - how it should have been all along really! The only thing i really miss about the athena is texting on a big screen. For some reason i really enjoyed that. The wmwifirouter app was useful too, though that's not exclusive to the athena. I think among the current fold of handsets the only thing that sets the athena apart is the screen size. There is nothing else on the device that can't be seen elsewhere. It just didn't cut the mustard for me as i had to persevere too much and it was a little embarrassing to use, but as they say - each to their own. One final point i will make is that i DON'T THINK the athena is a good convergence device. It provides no more than a big screen. Video performance is often shoddy, browsing does not offer full internet, the camera is pretty crap and usb host is only really of use for hid and playing music\photos. Aside from the large screen, usb host and touchscreen the n95 8gb offers: better multimedia playback (multi codec with coreplayer), a far superior camera, with shockingly better video recording functionality, integrated gps which locks on quicker than the athena and a quicker browser which allows effortless access to all but flash sites (soon to be remedied. With flash lite 3.0).. If the athena is a convergance device then the n95 8gb is just as good, particularly given it's size. You can even use a bluetooth keyboard with it. P.s. I typed all this on an n95 and it was a piece of cake!.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I disagree that web browsing and emailing experience is even practical at all with N95. The device is just too tiny for such purposes. I went to the shop and asked the assistant to demo it. It is way way too slow for once. The screen shows a small portion of that Athena would have shown. The input with the keypad is completely unacceptable and unpleasant.
I hate to say this, while I understand your desire to find a better browser and email client on Athena, I don't think N95 is a better one.
eaglesteve said:
Sorry, I disagree that web browsing and emailing experience is even practical at all with N95. The device is just too tiny for such purposes. I went to the shop and asked the assistant to demo it. It is way way too slow for once. The screen shows a small portion of that Athena would have shown. The input with the keypad is completely unacceptable and unpleasant.
I hate to say this, while I understand your desire to find a better browser and email client on Athena, I don't think N95 is a better one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that was too polite.
Leoni, you can't seriously be suggesting that a buggy S60 phone with a tiny screen and a gimmicky media player is even close to the Athena. My other half has an N95 and even she (a gadget hater!) thinks it is a dysfunctional version of the Iphone (now that is quite an insult, coming from her!). The only good think about it is the camera.
Leoni is right, it is about personal preference. But iof you want decent browsing, decent email, decent screen size, decent satnav, the N95 is most certainly not the way to go. Sorry.
a viewty and an EEE pc thats the way to do it
spacecat said:
a viewty and an EEE pc thats the way to do it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my brother just got the viewty, nice camera but the rest sucks lol
I've been wanting and waiting to buy the xperia since it was released. I'm finally just about to buy it (had one ordered but the order fell through on their end, and so now have time to reconsider). I'm a programmer and very technically-minded, so I am not anticipating having any technical problems with optimizing/dealing with the phone. I'm looking for something powerful (and beautiful) that I can customize and use fully for a while.
However, I see many posts here about people regretting purchasing the xperia, mostly because of sluggish performance (and case cracks). When I go to the local Sony store to play with the display phone they have, I can definitely see that I would be very unhappy with a stock set, it's too unresponsive for me, plus the finger-friendly issues with win6.1. I know all about the different speed tweaks and touchscreen response tweaks available here for the xperia, but it's hard to get a feeling for just how well they work and how much a difference they really make.
But since I'm a regular xda reader, etc, I have hopes that some of the nice roms posted here will improve the system responsiveness, I'm especially looking at gtrab's set, mobilevu's v-lite and wild child's concept rom.
My question is: even if you continue to stick with the phone, do you actually regret getting the xperia?
I've been waiting for a long time for a real killer phone and while the xperia looks like it for me, I don't want to be disappointed even with custom roms... the hero looks like an option to me if the xperia isn't going to live up to my hopes.
thanks!
Absolutely I regret it. At the time I had just drowned a k850i, and bought another k850i to replace it. Then I saw a decent deal on an X1a, and I went for it. For the money, this phone just isn't worth it. I was happier with my SE dumb phones. I'm waiting for the Idou or whatever they're calling it now. This is after spending months waiting for the c905a...
best phone if you know how to use wm or if you are not too stupid to figure out how
some people are really dumb and should just get an Iphone though
DatDereX1 said:
best phone if you know how to use wm or if you are not to stupid to figure out how
some people are really dumb and should just get an Iphone though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely.
I never had a single doubt about it.
My question is: even if you continue to stick with the phone, do you actually regret getting the xperia?
Yes, I regret getting the Xperia X1.
I've had an XDA of one sort or another for the last 4-5 years so I'm used to WinMo and it isn't the OS that's the problem. My perception is that it is too fragile for day-to-day use. My sig says changed twice due to cracks in the casing... make that three times as of today!
It is only the fantastic ROMs from the talented chefs here at XDAdev that make it bearable. Most of the ROMs have Rhodium enhancements, and since I really like those enhancements, I'll be looking at a Rhodium next time around.
Nope because I get every dollar (even with the discount) out of my purchase. I use ALL of the features on a daily basis lol.
I do not regret buying an X1. But, buyer beware, it is not perfect out of the box.
My fun was getting it perfect for my preferences. I enjoy having the option to dig in and customize my device with various software or settings tweaks.
It is a well made device and the R3 rom which was finally released for NAM yesterday has improved my reception as well as speed and smoothness running different programs.
I have also flashed it multiple times with custom roms from the chefs here at XDA.
While the price for it was, and still is, ridiculous, I am happy with the phone overall.
I would love to see a winmo 6.5 upgrade for it in the future but realistically, I don't expect it.
I have had mine for around four months, have no cracks in the case and protect my screen with a Martin Fields protector. I use a ICE-45 OEM case.
I would recommend this phone as long as you have disposable income.
It doesn't matter what you buy, in six to twelve months something better will be available. That can be said for all high tech devices.
i do regret it, i've been using sony ericsson for 3 years and lots phones: k800> k608> M600> W880> K850 > W960 >xperia1
somehow Xperia1 is not perfect to me
- camera isnot better even than k800/k850/w960
- music player is definitely worsen/ not friendly than k850/w960- this 2 phones were amazing at its onw strengths- camera/music
- xperia speed is somehow slow/ often hang
that all i want SE to improve and put effort on X2/3 which should have combination of k850 camera/ w960 music and speed. if they do it, their phone would be perfect all aspects
If you are not too concern about the lack of response, I would say its one of the better WM phone..
If you are not too concern about phone hanging once in a while, I would say its one of the better WM phone
If you are not too concern about the music quality, I would say its still one of the better WM phone
If you are not too concern about Window Mobile OS, I would say go get the X1
Do your research on the X1 and compare features before you decide..
For me, yes, I regret it and it has such a low resell value that I am stuck with it for a while now
xperiance said:
I've been wanting and waiting to buy the xperia since it was released. I'm finally just about to buy it (had one ordered but the order fell through on their end, and so now have time to reconsider). I'm a programmer and very technically-minded, so I am not anticipating having any technical problems with optimizing/dealing with the phone. I'm looking for something powerful (and beautiful) that I can customize and use fully for a while.
However, I see many posts here about people regretting purchasing the xperia, mostly because of sluggish performance (and case cracks). When I go to the local Sony store to play with the display phone they have, I can definitely see that I would be very unhappy with a stock set, it's too unresponsive for me, plus the finger-friendly issues with win6.1. I know all about the different speed tweaks and touchscreen response tweaks available here for the xperia, but it's hard to get a feeling for just how well they work and how much a difference they really make.
But since I'm a regular xda reader, etc, I have hopes that some of the nice roms posted here will improve the system responsiveness, I'm especially looking at gtrab's set, mobilevu's v-lite and wild child's concept rom.
My question is: even if you continue to stick with the phone, do you actually regret getting the xperia?
I've been waiting for a long time for a real killer phone and while the xperia looks like it for me, I don't want to be disappointed even with custom roms... the hero looks like an option to me if the xperia isn't going to live up to my hopes.
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I regret getting the Xperia...
The Primary Reasons (In Priorities Order) That I Got Xperia:
1) Optical Mouse - All of the reviewers on the internet kept referring the D-pad as an Optical Mouse. I didn't want an Optical Joystick, I wanted a Mouse. Furthermore the effing reviewers rarely mentioned that the D-pad was horrible.
2) The keyboard - Everyone raved that the keyboard was amazing, so I thought that I'd enjoyed it. But I think even the HTC Touch Pro 1 has a better keyboard. Why? We all know the front D-pad on TP1 and X1 sucks so much. But atleast Touch Pro 1 is designed for text functionality and has a keyboard D-pad which Xperia lacks. I was at first content with the lack of keyboard arrows because I expected the optical mouse and D-pad to work flawlessly. The Xperia does not have good indicators for Capitalization or blue FN keys. You have to look at the screen and it is hard to tell compared to looking and typing simultaneously on the keyboard. I always capitalize or insert symbols/numbers unexpectedly. The number keys are hid behind the text and I have never used a keyboard on a phone before so I thought it was a smart move with the Xperia. But it's just totally not effective.
Furthermore I rarely use the front D-pad in portrait mode because that is when my stylus is out, and I learned that it is most useful to use it when you are in keyboard mode, except the optical mouse is hard to use and I want keyboard-like arrow buttons.
3) I never had a depressed screen before - I learned that I would rather have scratches on my phone than have a depressed screen. I remember on a few forums that I praised the X1 for having the "usefulness" of a depressed screen, and now I apologize and join the other side of the argument.
4) I thought the screen was big. I was wrong, I've never had any phone with 3 inch screens before and I thought that 3 inch was big. This is why I do not install Touch Flo roms on this phone because Touch Flo owns on a 3.5+ inch screen, but is pointless in a <3.0 inch screen
5) I expected the front face keys to be easy to press and enjoyable. Boy was I wrong.
6) I thought the chrome was metal chrome as well. I was wrong again. It is chipping off already and the D-pad is also chipping off is glossy paint. But I have to admit it that peeling that paint off makes the D-pad looks much more high quality at the cost of losing the shininess.
7) I thought that the silver battery cover was scratch less and easy to remove from the back. It took me 3 months to perfect the art of battery cover removal.
8) The CPU is slow, but I think there is something wrong with my Xperia. I have a Samsung SCH-I760 in which Pocket Player and Core Player is twice as fast as the Xperia X1 with optimized settings.
The only thing that is preventing my from selling my Xperia is the fact that I love the gorgeous R3A Media Panel and its interface and the 3.5 mm headphone jack and the Flash LED.
xperiance said:
My question is: even if you continue to stick with the phone, do you actually regret getting the xperia?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What none of the replies are saying is that it depends quite a lot on where you live and mostly work.
Why ? Because the X1 has a truly terrible GMS signal reception in marginal areas, irrespective of which radio ROM you have installed. I've tested this side by side with an HTC P3650 and an Acer DX900, using the same SIM in each device, directly after one another. The X1 works fine in the cities, hopeless in marginal areas.
Also the 3G UMTS (internet) capability is limited to 1900/2100Mhz in the X1. If you need UMTS 850Mhz in regional areas, try for an X1a.
The original battery is underpowered and heats dangerously with continued use of GPS or wifi while on charge.
Hmmm this is a hard one to tackle.... for me I always regret some part of the phone... maybe frustrated is the work I should use instead of regret. my phone progression has been
550 motorola flip --> Motorola TAC Elite --> Motorola QWERTY messaging phone (forgot the model) --> SE P800 --> BB 7250 & SE W900 --> BB 8830 & Nokia N95 --> BB 8830 & Nokia N85 -- BB 8830 & SE X1
the X1 marked a major change in the way I used my personal phone, primarily for e-mail and messaging, so my criteria have changed a bit. Although the N95/N85 were smart phones, i still primarily used them as phones, and not integrated messaging devices. The Blackberry was always for work, and has always primarily been a messaging device so I have drawn the baseline experience from that.
To answer your question in short: No. No serious regrets.
To answer you question in detail: Yes, I have regrets but the issues can be mitigated/X1 seemed to be the best blend of trade-offs:
1) Lack of free integrated international maps. Global data roaming costs and arm and a leg. Pay as you go in some countries don't include data, so Google Maps downloading data is a bit of a concern when i'm using the GPS abroad. This was a factor when I was deciding between the X1 or N97. I spend 9 of 12 months in home territory so i can probably manage without free international maps. (Garmin, Wayfinder don't have maps for Japan or other Asian countries that I spend time in, and you have to pay for maps unlike the free Nokia Maps app)
2) Windows Mobile quirkiness. WM 6.1 is slow. Weird things happen like accounts go missing, spontaneous reboots, lock ups, crashes, when you install different things. It's not as customizable (stock), I haven't found a voice dialler/voice synth, and the menu system is not intuitive. The messaging system is more robust however, and there is great aftermarket customization (ROMS and MODS from here), etc. I think some of these shortcommings can easily be rectified by the community, but they're still annoying. COmmunity and aftermarket support maturity ended up being a huge factor for me.
3) Form factor. It is slightly thicker than my N85, but thinner than my N95, just as wide, and only 1 cm or so taller. It is comfortable in my hand and is pocketable. The N97 is not much bigger, but the BB Bold is a lot fatter. Seemed like a good compromise.
4) Battery Life. Horrid. I could get 3-4 days normal use with my N85. I use 30% of the battery on a low usage day, and 50-60% on a moderate usage day. Mind you I use the data a lot more, which does suck up more battery, but I should get more than a day's charge out of it IMO. I'm going to chalk this up to my use of data, and hope that there is a future radio/rom upgrade that is easier on battery usage.
5) Functionality as a messaging device. I IM, e-mail, and SMS much more than I call. probably 8-to-1. I do find myself resorting back to my BB8830 for heavy IM usage sessions, possibly because I am more familiar with it, but realistically because I'm much more used to the keyboard. Heavily considered the BB Bold for this reason alone. Maybe things will change after a month or two getting used to the X1. The N97 which I also considered had serious issues as being a robust messaging device. It seemed adequate, and may have improved with further firmware releases/development, but S60 5th Edition seemed limited in more ways somehow.
6) Recessed screen. Pain in the ass. Not a deal breaker tho since I have thin fingers and am pretty dexterous. I can understand why this would be a larger issue for other people however. Definitely a poor design choice.
7) Volume. This is a quiet device. I'll have to amplify and re-jig all my custom call tones, and what not. Annoying, but manageable.
8) Poor camera. I'm used to a really good quality 5 MP Carl Zeiss lense that was on the N85. I didn't use it much but it was a nice thing to have as a backup. I feel a bit stifled by the camera on the X1, but since I'm not really using it that much, it becomes a lower weighted criteria.
So as you can see, for me, it was not a simple choice between a BB Bold, SE X1, Nokia N97, or waiting for the new Samsung B7610, HTC Touch 2, SE X2, or some other next gen device. Lots of factors, and yes I do have regrets around a lot of them, but you do the best you can and just move on.
I've found with some tweaking the X1 usable/tolerable, and meeting 80% of my needs. Nothing will ever be perfect, and if I follow the 80/20 rule, meeting 80% of my requirements for a decent price is usually as good a deal as I can ask for.
On reflection, yes... I regret it.
I resent the implication by DatDereX1 that somehow the phone's shortcomings are down to my stupidity. If it was a simple case of software, then all of the problems would instantly be resolved by a flash of the ROM - but that isn't the case. WinMo aside, the hardware is far from perfect:
* abysmal battery life
* poor responsiveness to touch
* recessed screen
* case suceptible to cracks
* poor external speaker
* reception is poor (compared to other devices in the same location on the same network)
When you throw in the stock software, you can add to that sluggish performance and poor usability. Out-of-the-box it is quite simply a device that is well below par.
With custom ROMs the situation becomes bareable but you still can't get away from the basic hardware issues... and even with the ROMs, performance is still far from lightening quick.
Even those devoted to WinMo would surely have to conceed it is not the best implementation of the OS on a device.
i bought it after selling iphone 3g...was tired of iphone's on-screen keyboard....and the phone was jus too wide...holding it made my palms ache.
other than that..the features werent elaborate
so i bought X1...X1 is everything i wanted in a phone..but it could do with many improvements.
some problems i have with x1:
1. Panels crash sometimes..very rarely..but when they do..i have to soft reset.
2. Camera is slow.
3. panels development not as fast as expected.
4. scrolling on windows mobile sux.
5. touch response....dont know if its windows mobile or hardwares fault...but it can be improved...iphone has a very good touch response.
i bought it after selling iphone 3g...was tired of iphone's on-screen keyboard....and the phone was jus too wide...holding it made my palms ache.
other than that..the features werent elaborate
so i bought X1...X1 is everything i wanted in a phone..but it could do with many improvements.
some problems i have with x1:
1. Panels crash sometimes..very rarely..but when they do..i have to soft reset.
2. Camera is slow.
3. panels development not as fast as expected.
4. scrolling on windows mobile sux.
5. touch response....dont know if its windows mobile or hardwares fault...but it can be improved...iphone has a very good touch response.
I only regret I have no Xperia. I bought one for my wife and she uses it greatly. I have no money currently to spend on another one. I'm stuck for 5+ years with my old trusted Nokia 6230 (not even 6230i) phone if you remember the one.
I know definitely my next phone will be some PPC with WinMo. Maybe X2...
i do regret buying the x1, because now i want something more powerful with more features, eye candy and sexier...but u know what? i am still yet to find the device.
i really want to replace my x1 but i cant see anything to replace it with, will never buy the iphone unless it comes with fm radio, camera light or flash, mp3 for ringtones and multitasking abilities...so im kinda stuck with my x1, lets hope the x2 is much sexier, or else i would be buying a future htc android device with sense ui
i have two problems with the x1 so far
1. the battery loses its paint when touched often
2. the battery life is worse than my p1i ...thing is that i did more on my p1i than i do on my x1
Not at all, I love it.
All phones have their faults, hell, I sold my E90 Communicator to get one of these.
I loved that phone too, but Nokia's support of it was abysmal (it took them over a year to release a firmware fix for the Bluetooth issue that they broke with a firmware release...) and it got to the point where it was becoming a pain to use.
With all technology, there will be problems, they are coded by humans don't forget
I'd rather have 'quirks' or little niggles that can be sorted with small apps or tweaks than to have a featureless brick any day of the week.
Plus, it gives me a chance to satisfy my *need* to play with the newest toys!
I love my Xperia.
I am sick of these threads.
I don't know why so many of you say that you regret buying it (even though one of you that said they regret it also said it was the best phone available).
If you are unsure about a product read more about it. If you regret buying an Xperia (especially since you are at XDA-dev) it's your own damn fault.
Hannigan174 said:
I love my Xperia.
I am sick of these threads.
I don't know why so many of you say that you regret buying it (even though one of you that said they regret it also said it was the best phone available).
If you are unsure about a product read more about it. If you regret buying an Xperia (especially since you are at XDA-dev) it's your own damn fault.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats so true.
It is just such a tiny little effort needed to put into the x1 to make it the most powerful phone of all.
Again I must stick to my phrase:
Regretting == Not being able to handle the X1
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This is the smallest Android phone and has the clever 1.6 version (2.1 will be released shortly).
Its small and lightweight, but still feels well built and a quality item, despite its price point.
Pity about the name, but as long as it doesn't encourage folk to screw up their skin
Android is all there, present and correct, together with HTC's awesome sense interface and twitter & facebook widgets.
The packaging is classy and the phone's setup shows just how far leading edge smartphones have come. It asks you for email address, google login, facebook login and some other options and sets it all up automatically.
I have a vodafone SIM and it set up the data connection in the background silently without asking me anything.
Date and time are also automatically used from your location.
The 320x240 screen is not best for prolonged browsing but is necessary in this size of phone to make the character sizes readable.
The advantage of this size screen is that the CPU is pushing less pixels, so its has a pretty fast response time, faster then the Hero IMHO.
The disadvantage is waiting for more android market apps to be available for 320x240, this will take a few months.
The big surprise is how responsive the screen is, given its resistive. Its certainly nice to use and comes with the accurancy of resistive screens, useful for drawing and other apps where accuracy is needed.
Another fairly unique feature is that you can order custom covers (even uploading your own pictures) to add a nice touch for personalisation (through tattoomyhtc). Whilst this is a fun idea (or gimmick!), the other benefit of easily removable covers is that if you scratch the phone you can just buy another cover. I really wish more manufacturers would do this.
The std 3.5" headphone socket is a nice touch, and customarily for HTC delivers good sound quality, particularly through my bose triports.
The speaker goes to a reasonable volume but its not super-clear. Usable but not perhaps to enjoy music through!
The camera has no auto-focus and is reasonable for high light situations only.
I understand that bar-code software has trouble with cameras without auto-focus, hopefully this is being worked on as I love these applications.
I never use mobile phone cameras (how could I with a Nikon D700 ), so will leave it to someone else to test this out.
Lastly, newbies to android should remember the long horizontal swipes on the home screen to reveal multiple virtual home screens.
In summary, this is a classy power phone for those that want music, apps and ease of use, but not interested in using it for ebooks or browsing much (although the browser is android, and therefore second in quality only to the iphone).
I would pick it over its brother, the HTC Touch 2, anyday (but also wait with bated breath to see what WM 7 will bring).
Strongly recommended for those that want a small phone, but would like the power of a decent OS and can't bear Nokia S40 or all the other propriety junk OSes that tend to populate smaller devices.
Thanks for a nice review ..
I have the pleasure to be a owner of the tattoo and i can only say it rox!!!
I agree!!! the Tattoo is great at the price and has a very classy build....even the headphones provided with it did a decent job and were better than any HTC provided headphones I have used before....
Android Rocks!!
neat 2 cents.. Thx
Well said. I have a Nokia E71. While it runs S60 UI, it's a pain at times, randomly crashing or freezing (and having to do a battery pull).
I'm getting a HTC Tattoo from the UK, so yeah. I like your review though.
Nice Review!
I've had my Tattoo for a week on Vodafone and am very impressed with it.
Considered the Hero (very nice) and iPhone (way too expensive!) but settled on the Tattoo after trying it side by side with a Magic in the Vodafone shop. Hardly noticed a difference in screen response to be honest.
I'm not a power user - some browsing and very little social apps and only really wanted a nice phone with some customisation facilities and the Tattoo fits me perfectly.
Sure there will be better phones out shortly at this price point but that's always the case with mobiles and having taken the plunge with Android I'm a convert.
OK - so aside from bias/ability to afford/shipping/tax/price or other logistical factor - can we have a show of hands as to who has already bought a HD2 and has something to say - particularly what about the device makes you happy, what makes you sad?
Let's try keep it away from supplier/delivery issues or local network/band/signal issues - just pure usability/hardware/software.
Personally after trying one out in a store last week I finally received the experience I feel you want when moving to a PDA from a smart phone. What does our community think after using it for a while?
noofny said:
OK - so aside from bias/ability to afford/shipping/tax/price or other logistical factor - can we have a show of hands as to who has already bought a HD2 and has something to say - particularly what about the device makes you happy, what makes you sad?
Let's try keep it away from supplier/delivery issues or local network/band/signal issues - just pure usability/hardware/software.
Personally after trying one out in a store last week I finally received the experience I feel you want when moving to a PDA from a smart phone. What does our community think after using it for a while?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
too subjective a question....for every person on here that says get it, there will be one that says don't get it.
the final decision must be yours....nobody here can make your decision for you. Make a list of the important things for you in a phone, then find the phone that matches those needs the best.
for example, I think the iphone has a much nicer interface, more apps, better screen (touch interface, not size or clarity), but for me it just doesn't handle business functions very well and that made me choose the HD2 since this was my primary need.
if you do the same process you might find the ideal phone for you
I got mine on Sunday just gone, was an upgrade from a Diamond. I loved my diamond, but as soon as I had setup my HD2 with contacts and apps etc I was loving this even more. Each time I use it I find something new, like facebook linking, then seeing in a contact card all communications with that person.
I'm yet to use the footprints, but look forward to trying it out.
The main thing for me was the screen size, I always had problems with the tiny diamond screen, but this is so crisp, easier to use and much easier to keyboard with.
Also the damn speed of the device is amazing, so fast, the OS loads so quick. I soft resetted it and put it down to expect a few minutes wait like on the diamond, but was rebooted so quick!
The one thing I would love to see is a facebook tab, like the twitter tab, shame they didn't implement that!
The specs that come with this phone are truely awesome, and that was the overall selling point for me, as I knew how good HTC phones were I just had to have something with the specs that this phone comes with.
twisted-pixel - good point about the subjectiveness. I suppose what I'm fishing for here are peoples post-usage horror/love stories - moreso with regard to hardware and usability. It's a nice big screen but it's also a nice big slab of tech - how do you find the size, whats the battery life like, do you notice anything bad about the capacitive screen, how often (if ever) do you feel the need for a stylus and say 'doh', does the headphone port become dodgy after use - or the micro usb port? I suppose because of this community we all have flexibility and solutions around software, so I meant to make this more hardware related I guess.
noofny said:
twisted-pixel - good point about the subjectiveness. I suppose what I'm fishing for here are peoples post-usage horror/love stories - moreso with regard to hardware and usability. It's a nice big screen but it's also a nice big slab of tech - how do you find the size, whats the battery life like, do you notice anything bad about the capacitive screen, how often (if ever) do you feel the need for a stylus and say 'doh', does the headphone port become dodgy after use - or the micro usb port? I suppose because of this community we all have flexibility and solutions around software, so I meant to make this more hardware related I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I admit to loving the phone...with one exception...the sensitivity of the screen is a complete disaster for me. it's very difficult to type on, someones it responds to the slightest touch, other times it doesn't. accuracy is also an issue (that was to be expected on a screen with high resolution I suppose)
and yes, I've tried all the tweaks going before anyone suggests it (currently running v3.3 of the tweak with sensitivity on)
I think if I had come straight from my HD then I would have been impressed, but I come from an iphone where the screen was a delight to use.
however, the rest of the phone makes up for that small failing.
noofny said:
twisted-pixel - good point about the subjectiveness. I suppose what I'm fishing for here are peoples post-usage horror/love stories - moreso with regard to hardware and usability. It's a nice big screen but it's also a nice big slab of tech - how do you find the size, whats the battery life like, do you notice anything bad about the capacitive screen, how often (if ever) do you feel the need for a stylus and say 'doh', does the headphone port become dodgy after use - or the micro usb port? I suppose because of this community we all have flexibility and solutions around software, so I meant to make this more hardware related I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, you will find more people venting than praising any device on this forum, as people only seek help when they have problems.
I must admit, I personally think it is the best device I have ever used.
For a quick overview from me (in comparison to the X1, but most comments are applicable):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5667230&postcount=6
I stumbled on this video on youtube;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-3Bi-Eg2gQ
...and love his brutal (albeit bias and sometimes naive) honesty, it helps you make a decision because it's not a rant. So far you guys are proving some intelligent feedback also - so thank you and let's keep it coming!
I got the HD2 the day it was available in my country (one of the first in europe) and despite all the fixes and xda-dev recommendations i couldn't have it for more then 1 weekend. I sold it on monday morning.
I hated typing (i did try the keyboard cab which should lower the sensitivity), loading sms with some exchanged texts already (loading was awful for such powerful device), visibility outside was horrible, battery,..
Maybe my rant will be understanded better if i mention i'm a blackberry user that likes to try out new "hot phones" (no matter which brand or type of usage).
I've also tried the Nexus One and would say i liked it a tiny bit better then HD2, but still couldn't have it for more then a week.
So, why am i writing this.. After MWC last week, i've kind of wanted to give HD2 another shot. For the following reasons..
I've came across some nice taskbar buttons (which make it look so much better..), I saw there is a fix for sms loading time, i guess i could always install a different keyboard,.. and most imortantly i got a very nice (cheap) offer for a brand new HD2. Yesterday i even ordered a nice case (didn't like the one that comes in the box) and a screenprotector (which might reduce the fingerprints, which i hated so much and a visibility outside,.. hope i'm not too optimistic).
If i somehow manage to be happy with HD2, i might even go for the exnteded battery. And i'm kind of feeling the hype for WinMo7 rom for this device.. Don't know if it will be any better or worse, i just know there is some excitement about it
Hope my rant / "long mess" didn't bore you too much
+1 to buy with eyes closed.
OK, this will be quick because I'm supposed to be doing something else right now but anyway...
I've just sent my HD2 back because of a problem with the microphone so if anyone should be telling you to think of other alternatives - it should be me.
But I can't because I love the phone. It's fast, responsive, it's got most of the features that you could ever want (minus USB host), the screen is gorgeous and the interface is pretty damn usable.
It's not perfect however... Customising it is more trouble than it should be. There is a slight pink hue in the middle of the camera when the contrast and saturation are turned up high enough to make the colours look half lifelike and when the screen is completely white, at certain angles you can see the grid dots that make the screen's matrix.
So to resume, if you don't mind spending some time on it and you're not completely obsessive about things being absolutely perfect (I am and I can still get to sleep at night) then you should be very happy with an HD2.
NeoGreendawg said:
There is a slight pink hue in the middle of the camera when the contrast and saturation are turned up high enough to make the colours look half lifelike and when the screen is completely white, at certain angles you can see the grid dots that make the screen's matrix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The pink hue is solved with an update from HTC (here)
The dots are also visible on an iPhone, its down to the technology, not the device alone.
rp-x1 said:
The pink hue is solved with an update from HTC (here)
The dots are also visible on an iPhone, its down to the technology, not the device alone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I'm sorry but the HTC hotfix did slightly improve the issue but it certainly didn't resolve it in my case. I love the phone believe me but I somehow doubt that anyone who isn't employed by HTC or affected by Daltonism could honestly claim that it has completely solved the issue.
Edit : Not trying to be rude or make out that it's a deal-breaker but I know that as a potential buyer I'd want to know about it.
I've had the HD2 for three weeks and use it every day. I also end up resetting it every day. I've come from a Nokia N96 and before that the N73, so I'm comparing it to the N96. I am very pleased with the speed of the phone and how operations take way less than a second to perform, instead of several seconds a la N96.
The phone itself is a bit too big. Perhaps a 4 inch screen would have been enough. Even though I have big hands, it's just too big to walk around and hold the phone with one hand. I'm scared of dropping it. The headphone port's on the bottom of the phone - it causes the cable to tangle up around the phone when in a pocket.
I have found plenty of bugs in the stock O2 1.43 firmware and know how to deal with the main ones.
I didn't realise the phone had an FM tuner until I found it after a few days on the Start menu - I used the N96 FM tuner almost every day. Unfortunately the tuner on the HD2 is really poor. It is unable to obtain a good quality signal. Sound dips out. There's an awful lot of interference in places where the N96 would have relayed a good quality signal. In places where the N96 got a poor signal, the HD2 has static. BBC Radio 1 has the most powerful signal in my area, yet the HD2 fails to get consistent reception. There's just too much interference and I often just shut the radio off. A huge let down; I wonder if it's hardware or software at fault.
The N96 music player was very well featured, but incredibly (pathetically) slow. In contrast, the HTC Music app has no such delays, is very fast but somewhat basic in comparison. A lot of cool N96 features are missing; there's no way to call up the keyboard to locate tracks, track details can't be edited, tracks can't be deleted, backing out of an album takes you to the top of the album list and not to where you were. There's no hardware buttons to change tracks when the phone's in a pocket (a swipe up/down on the lock screen to change tracks would be nice). Volume control has too few stages so is either too loud or too quiet; volume within the Music tab has more stages but doesn't always work (error in Services.exe). General audio quality is rather poor - even the iPod classic 5G sounds better! Occasional unexplained sound dips and audio which lacks in bass and treble. The oddest thing is the shuffle feature tends to replay swathes of tracks that have already been played.
Video playback is very impressive because of the screen size. Can't fathom why the Windows Mobile OS cannot play WMV. Get quite a few dropped frames and put that down to the poor quality 1.43 ROM and perhaps not-fully-developed decoders. Video viewing in general is very nice, although an afterthought within HTC Sense, as the video playback has essentially just been tacked on to HTC's photo viewing app.
I do like the phone, it is good enough to stop me wanting to go back to my last phone. I'd get one, but the HD2's not quite the tech lover's wet dream that some of the big review sites make it out to be. Having bought it from the O2 network, I'll seriously doubt I'll ever be able to officially upgrade the firmware (HTC isn't even listed on their software upgrade pages), so I'll have to learn alternative methods one of these days to see if I can iron out some of the bugs!
Wish they would just whack a snapdragon and capacitive screen in a HD and re-release it....think that would satisfy a lotta folks. Cheers all for your input, it's really helping me to set realistic expectations.
I was contemplating on whether I should buy a Nexus One instead of the HD2, but I decided to go for the HD2 instead because it was cheaper, had a nice screen resolution, specifications don't differ much between both devices, and i'm looking forward to the Windows 7 release on the HD2
i am currently contemplating to switch from HD to HD2....is it worth it?
Buy it!
I come from the HD. The HD2 is what the HD should have been from the first instance.
Fantastic:
- speed (and I am using a stock French Orange ROM based on 1.43!)
- screen
- usability
As far as precision is concerned: I need a phone to check and type (even long) emails, and read documents. XT9 works just great, but even in ABC mode in landscape the accuracy is pretty good (and I type fast!).
If you need to play around with programs using stylus-based input, yes, then it gets really annoying (try to edit your registry in Total Commander and you'll get crazy).
In summary: if you want to tweak it like crazy all the time or intensively use older programs with small menus, then consider buying an alternative with a resistive screen and a stylus. But if you actually want to USE your phone with the standard applications, just buy it and you'll get the best of the market today imo!
to buy or not
i have it for a month after the trinity.
sorry but it hasnot voice call
no handwriting recognition
battery ends quickley
no video call
no .chm file reader
all of these were on the trinity.
so i am sorry buing it
Mastoid said:
I was contemplating on whether I should buy a Nexus One instead of the HD2, but I decided to go for the HD2 instead because it was cheaper, had a nice screen resolution, specifications don't differ much between both devices, and i'm looking forward to the Windows 7 release on the HD2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope you do realize that there may eventually never be a WP7 release for the HD2?
rottttman said:
i have it for a month after the trinity.
sorry but it hasnot voice call
no handwriting recognition
battery ends quickley
no video call
no .chm file reader
all of these were on the trinity.
so i am sorry buing it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U'd better search for infos about the phone after buying it
After having read one too many "I hate my Xperia and wish I had an iPhone" thread I thought I'd make a thread for people to remember why they bought an Xperia.
Does it have it's issues? Absolutely, but it makes up for it (for me at least) in many other ways.
I originally bought the Xperia X1a because it was the ONLY 3G capable WVGA device available for AT&T bands (850Mhz and 1900Mhz). It has a nice feeling keyboard, it has a beautiful display, and it has a very nice hand-feel. Even when I pick it up now it just feels so good in the hand. In fact I haven't had one that felt so good to hold since my old SE W810i. I had the Hermes and Kaiser and both were clunky and unenjoyable to hold.
The Xperia keyboard has a very pleasant keyboard. Its clicks are well defined and the arc slider's spring assist makes it a real joy to slide out. Also my battery life has been superb. Even running 24/7 Push E-mail and a separate IMAP account I still get over 48 hours of power.
Also it came with SPB Mobile Shell for FREE. SPB is, arguably the best Windows Mobile Shell available and it was a sheer joy to use, and while the default SE Panels were rather unimpressive I love that I can switch from Titanium/Sense, to SPB, to PointUI, as well as the absolutely gorgeous Growing Panel with just two presses.
While the processor is unimpressive it has been consistently able to run AVC Video at WVGA resolutions (some ROMs worked better than others, actually).
Sony also added a pretty good Xt9 SIP keyboard (I prefer TouchPal anyway) and with custom ROMS bringing Titanium and Sense to my Xperia I wonder why I would get anything else.
Pros:
1) Very High Res screen (More than double the lowly iPhone)
2) Latest UIs (I got SPB MS 3 from Korean site )
3) Great hand-feel
4) Great 3G performance (if you are on U.S. AT&T Xperia X1a is the best, for now)
5) Long Battery life
For those of you who might say I am glossing over some of the downsides, well sure, but this is a why I am HAPPY with my Xperia thread. (I have found most of the complaints to either be largely due to user error, or what I would call "making mountains out of molehills", but that's just my opinion).
Anyone else feel like their much maligned X1 has been getting unfair treatment feel free to offer some positive feedback for the device that, hopefully, we all still love.
P.S. - I got this idea from flamingsamurai
I am loving this phone right now.
*Opera mini feels as fast as my LEO and 3gs.
*The ability to use panels is a good point too.
*HTC Kaiser and TP2 were nice but chunky phones for me (bricks).
*The screen is just about as wide as the iphones and the device is much smaller.
*The hardware keys come in really handy. The optical sensor is good for menus.
*The keyboard is nice with good width for keys.
*Its a beautifully constructed metallic device.
* I am using vakleryire firestorm leo with htc sense activated in the home menu and it feels like a compact leo.
*No accelerometer but I use left softkey remapped to rotate screen.
* Android and Ubuntu are in deep progress as far as I can see (3 OS in one!).
Many more too.
Swap with 1ghz, increased ram/rom and the 0.2 inch for the screen and you have one of the best devices out there!
I like my X1 because it actually 'feels' like a communication device rather than an MP3 player with a call function. I honestly think the iphone looks and feels really dopey. I also have to agree that it feels great in the hands too. The way the keyboard springs open is just incredibly badass. The weight and the metal fascia just feel so classy. The panels are fun to change up every now and then, and I think it's just cool to have windows on such a tiny device. I thought my itouch felt like I had a little computer on me at all times, but the X1 is even more so. I feel a lot more organized on the X1 than I think I would with an iphone.
I had a hard time choosing between the X1 and iphone, but in the end, I couldn't justify paying the same price for a device (3G) with far less inferior hardware specs than the X1 just because of what it is. I generally hate apple products and didn't want to give in to their supremacy by getting and iphone. Sure apple's touchscreen is awesome, but I didn't feel I needed it for a phone; that's where my itouch comes in.
I found that apple's accelerometer annoying sometimes when I'm using it in weird angles, i.e. lying down in bed. I think I'm just glad to know that my X1 would be vastly superior in outer space than an iphone. You know, space-proof, just in case.
In the end I'm glad I made my decision to get the X1 and keep my itouch for my apple needs, rather than combining everything into one device. I'll use my itouch for video, music, and games; my X1 strictly for communication and productivity.
I actually love my X1 and think that it was the best phone I could get. After learning about the potential physical short comings, I'm going to do my best to baby this phone to make it live forever. If she dies, I'll revive her.
Sony eirccson is a pretty cool guy. eh is better than teh ifone and doesn't afraid of anything...
A message to the OP; when did you purchase your X1? Was it brand new. refurbished, or used?
Anyways, if the device was increased to the scale of having a 3.5 inch screen, I would definitely have kept my device.
Absolutely agree with everything said, especially about the X1 being space proof =D
Also people complain about WM, and I have no problem with it, its perfectly logical, and if you use a rom which you like, then it runs fine. Someday you'll be able to jump ship to android. Anyways I'll always love it, its fun to fiddle around with, rather than be a boring symbian phone, where you have no control.
And wheres the fun in having a phone everyone has?
Great thread Hannigan
I wouldn't call the phone cracking by itself user error. It's true, the phone does have good points, but it doesn't get the basics down.
If I have to keep the phone in a safe vault for it to not crack, what use is it?
I like the optical sensor and having the ability to choose between the optical sensor and physical clicks for directional input. However, I hate the feel of the keyboard.
Finally a thread where people actually enjoy the phone
What I like about the X1:
The Professional look and feel of the phone
Screen size and HD Res.
Modding capabilities and Hacks and the Different UI's you can put on it.
Camera front and Back and video recording
Optical mouse pad
Keyboard
Speed of phone, yes thats right I said Speed.
Wifi
GPS
HD games/PS1, sigh....... I miss Call of Duty 2 but I just couldn't go back to Sh!ty 6.1
And most of all The fact that their very little people that have heard of or seen this phone where i live. Actually I'm the only that owns one I don't know anybody with this phone in Auburn,NY .
@Rydock I'm glad to see your enjoying your X1 so far.
I'm still getting use to my X2 (just got it this week) but over all the more I get use to it the more I love it.
Single greatest reason why I love my X2 is .... Keyboard! =) (I hate typing on my ipod touch, nor do my fingers allow for a smooth scroll on the screen).
My only hope is the 2 up and coming firmwares fixes the little minor issues I have.
poetryrocksalot said:
A message to the OP; when did you purchase your X1? Was it brand new. refurbished, or used?
Anyways, if the device was increased to the scale of having a 3.5 inch screen, I would definitely have kept my device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought mine new on eBay from an Australian retailer selling a Telstra NextG model (it comes unlocked). Only U.S. sources I could find had significantly higher prices for the X1a. I received it in February or so I think? About 1 year old.
Why do you ask about age and status? I presume you had one and are on U.S. AT&T. Were you curious since it is so rare in U.S.?
P.S. - I would prefer a bigger, flush screen. Then again it is still the largest screened phone I have ever had. And for me the physical keyboard is a huge benefit (Had Hermes and Kaiser before so I like them side sliders).
My X1 is still my favourite phone, the modding capabilities are what does it for me.
I like the fact it's my phone, I've customised it to how I want it to work, I can't do that to any other phone I've owned.
The screen is great, it runs smoothly, i can get push email from multiple accounts no problem, I sync my contacts and calendar, vide oplayback is generally good, ther are a few files that is has problems with, but that's pretty rare.
Sound quality is great, shame abut the speaker, but I generally have it on silent and use a bluetooth headset or headphones.
It looks great, the build is solid, it's been dropped countless times now, ther are a few dents, cracks and scratches, but I expect that after the battering it's had over the last months!
I love having a QWERTY, but I wish it was more friendly for single hand use.
I've found myself using titanium over any panels, and things like the wifi router abilities, even torrents, mean i can do anything I want on it.
The X2 with a 1GHz processor would probably be my ideal phone! Just wish that looked more like the X1.
I'm happy to see that there are at least a few of us who are more than satisfied with the Xperia
It's always good to hear some positivity for a change. Thanks for the input, to all of you.
It's been a year since I last used my Xperia regularly. I would like to use it more, because I really enjoy the QWERTY keyboard (it has four rows and a dedicated @ button, etc) and it's a very versatile device. There are some great ROMs out for it now as well: Sense 2.5, Windows Mobile 6.5.3, X2 and what not.
But what keeps me from going back to it is the Xperia's tiny screen, in combination with the high resolution. WVGA is mainly used on 4, 3.7 and 3.5 inch displays, and not on merely 3 inches. In fact, is there even another 3" WVGA device in the world? It looks great, sure, but everything is so petite that it hurts my eyes
I think such a small display also puts a lid on the overall user experience. If the Xperia had a 3.5" display, or even 3.2", I would have used it *a lot* more. Because as pointed out in this thread, it does have plenty of strengths.
Hi all,
in fact I just BOUGHT an X1 afresh!
I'm using an HTC Touch HD with customized ROM as my primary device, and still think that's the best setup for me. The only things that bugged me were the width and the absolute lack of any tactile experience.
So I shopped around ...
In fact I actually ordered a Motorola Milestone: I wanted to see if I liked Android, the reviews are enthusiastic, and it has a hardware keyboard.
Guess what: I sent it back the day it was delivered. (but that's another story)
And so I went back to Windows Mobile.
My new X1 (and in fact it is brand new) has everything that I was looking for. It sits well in your hand, and I mean as a phone it feels just right. I'm quite happy with the keyboard, and I love the rich feel of the slider. And finally: Hardware buttons hooray!
Other than that it's got pretty much everything my Touch HD has, minus the G-sensor (and I can live with that).
So I use the HD for business (because it's lightweight and discreet to carry in a jacket) and for navigation (big screen!) and the X1 for leisure. Btw, the media panel is just amazing in terms of audio output!
All in all I've fully returned to WM thanks to the X1, and I don't see myself migrating to Android, WebOS, iPhone or Symbian any time soon. Windows Phone 7 Series (or whatever it's called) is downright scary in its restrictions, so I'm glad that 6.x will still be around for power users like us.
Bliss.
N.