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It seems like the cruise has been abandon. I am not a rom freak but its been forever since anything has been developed for the polaris. What gives??
If thats the case i guess its time to move on to the iphone
Only if the embeeded graphics acceleration were fully included in drivers, it'd be enough to satisfy most users of the device, it's really irritating that the device performs worse than other older devices in graphics... that reminds me never to buy another device with a Qualcomm chipset (hence any HTC phone), so my next device would will come with a Marvell or Samsung chipset (mmm, those new Acer phones looks interesting).
I would never go to an iPhone, it's a toy, no more than that... I must admit that Apple scores 10 in marketing and they can sell uninformed people their devices.
Sorry for the rant, I just needed to say that aloud
dortyboy said:
It seems like the cruise has been abandon. I am not a rom freak but its been forever since anything has been developed for the polaris. What gives??
If thats the case i guess its time to move on to the iphone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What new stuff exactly are you're looking for?
There's a heap of applications being written every day that will run on Polaris(check the Forum).
Some guys are doing a great job in porting Android to Polaris as well. Take a look - it's pretty cool.
Whether it's a Polaris, Nokia or iPhone there's only so much you can do with it.....
Yes I agree, Polaris is not dead, it only reached a level of maturity that there is no need for any other heavy develpment... after all it's a good device with qvga standar screen that can run anything for qvga, and has a dpad...
Yes the 3d drivers issue gone a little bad, some roms dont even support or include them, but they perform good anyway, I don't think it's that slow device if you know what your doing.... you wont run photoshop on it...
And dont be sure that having samsung or marvell proccessor will be heaven on earth... a lot of my friends are fustrated with crashes, no reason overflows... and most of devices carring them dont have 3d acceleration.
The Polaris has 3D acceleration, in a way. It's just still not finished yet. It takes a HELL of alot time and effort to fix it, and most developers don't want to put in so much effort anymore, especially with Winmo7 around the corner with it's new kernel.
However, i still think it's possible to get Manila3D running without the sleep-bug, as long as people are motivated. But for alot of people, that comes with a price...
@Drakh: What about the Tegra when it comes out? Sorta best of both worlds...HTC device, which means in terms of hardware most devices will actually be pretty fully featured, and in terms of chipset, it's coming from a far better company than any of the other options given. Only obvious concern, it'll be a completely new product and is still untested by the market, almost certainly there's going to be at least a couple of flaws in the early iterations.
I don't know that I'd call Time-of-Death on the Polaris yet. I suspect a lot more development will kick back up when the Iolite actually hits shelves. At the very least, when serious Iolite development kicks up, and starts incorporating newer features/versions of software, it'll be relatively easy to create pair of roms side-by-side to cover both devices.
Polaris is my worst phone ever. It was expensive at the time and everything is slow about it, even the 2d operations like opening windows, clicking startmenu, slow camera, slow scrolling in windows like file explorer, all programs list etc etc etc. Real disappointment and i'm also looking for other smartphones with a different chipset/manufacturer.
i agree. i bout my Polaris over a year ago for 720 usd in NYC. for that i could have bought 3 iphones and it was disappointing to me that htc doesn't take the time to upgrade there phones. instead the fool us with a new one with slight improvements then another one with slight improvements. why cant they just focus on one phone and try and make it as best as possible.
This is primarily a htc device forum.
For anyone who thinks they may fair better with another brand device it is worth noting that the development that go on - largely thanks to xda-developers - is not something that is replicated on any other device.
The iphone is a matter of taste and while they have plenty of programs on app-store, it is as someone said earlier - a toy, a fashion accessory, an ipod with a phone in it.
If you are cheesed off with htc's lack of dedication to one device then I dont blame you, we all get sick of it, but every manufacturer is in it to make money and they are all slow to push out decent updates and have their own advantages and shortfalls.
At least with the htc devices we have xda-developers - and as long as it is there (and long may it live) we have the chance of enjoying the CHOICE of different softwares instead of having to make do with whats there as most of the other devices.
dortyboy said:
i agree. i bout my Polaris over a year ago for 720 usd in NYC. for that i could have bought 3 iphones and it was disappointing to me that htc doesn't take the time to upgrade there phones. instead the fool us with a new one with slight improvements then another one with slight improvements. why cant they just focus on one phone and try and make it as best as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but what is it you want it to do that it doesn't do?
is it games? then buy a Nintendo DS - sure you can't make calls with it but it's a great games device.
want to watch movies? the Sony PSP has great video playback but it won't manage you calendar.
I guess the point I'm making is that devices like the Polaris try to do lots of different things - and it does some things better than others.
I'm sure that when you got your Polaris you checked it out at the time and probably thought it was a pretty impressive device.
Most of the recent improvements have been to screen resolution, memory and processor speed and performance. All of these are hardware related and something that can not simply be plugged in and made work.
As time moves on technology improves and devices look better, maybe work a little faster and do more things. To expect something that's a couple of years old to work as well as a device you can buy today is a bit unrealistic.
I agree with Bally - at least we benefit from up-to-date software through the hard work of the cooks and developers at XDA-Devs.
Personally, my Polaris has never worked better or faster.
u guys are so quick to jump to your own conclusions! i never said i did not like my polaris; i love it! i am simply saying that there comes a time especially with htc devices that as we say a particular phone has run its course.
i just wanted to spark some interest in the phone and apparently i did.
i was just frustrated how expensive htc phones are and its up to private individuals to make them work better. maybe htc should be paying XDA for there hard work
I dont think HTC like´s XDA much for obvious reasons....the reasons that made me fall in love with this community.
I bought my Polaris 2 years ago and i see new models in stores that are a few levels down so i cant complain and i will only trade my polaris for a tegra device,the rest is just small improvements
Hi All,
I bought my Orbit 2 for Christmas, second hand.
I immediately flashed the rom to C Shekar's' "a" rom, then his "b" rom; added S2U2, a few bits and bobs, changed the theme and am now happy.
It is fast enough, and I use it extensively for e mail and TomTom navigation.
I like it!
Where to go from here?
What should be the next phone, assuming I stay with HTC? (better the devil you know ...)
SpiggyTopes said:
Hi All,
I bought my Orbit 2 for Christmas, second hand.
I immediately flashed the rom to C Shekar's' "a" rom, then his "b" rom; added S2U2, a few bits and bobs, changed the theme and am now happy.
It is fast enough, and I use it extensively for e mail and TomTom navigation.
I like it!
Where to go from here?
What should be the next phone, assuming I stay with HTC? (better the devil you know ...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i agree with u. thats why i havent bought a new phone as of yet. i dnt wanna buy another htc phone. am waiting for something new but much better than htc and that is not htc
Assuming this has become a "spill what`s on your mind" thread, i`ll let you in on my feelings as well. When i bought the phone i gave 1300 Buglarian leva for it, that`s about 650 Euro (a bit more than $860) ... i loved it, it`s my first PDA, it was GREAT ! ... all of my friends were so jealous, it was THE phone. Some time passed, i made some installs and the phone started to go bad, started freezing, gave me the worst time in my life, i`ve never had such issues with a phone. Even now i`m trying to reflash it, and it doesn't want me to, the ROM update procedure freezes at 0% and doesnt go on ... then the recovery wizard kicks in ... and here we go again, and again ...
I will NEVER, ever purchase a Windows Mobile phone anymore, its buggy, slow and it cant event work like a decent phone ... what more should i ask, if it cant do that decently. So please, spare me the "htc sux, xda rulz" stuff ... xda-developers is a place spawned by the NEED for working software, something HTC and Microsoft both cant provide. Now tell me why shouldn't i buy an iphone, it does everything it says its supposed to. Though i wont buy an iphone, i`ll wait for the Palm Pre and buy that, and i`m sure, that will be deal for my money.
whatever you buy you will get bored with it and envy some new model that comes out a week after you buy your new device......
the good thing about windows mobile devices is that at least you can fiddle around and add new stuff, change the interface etc. keeps you interested just that little bit longer
cr1960 said:
whatever you buy you will get bored with it and envy some new model that comes out a week after you buy your new device......
the good thing about windows mobile devices is that at least you can fiddle around and add new stuff, change the interface etc. keeps you interested just that little bit longer
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Click to collapse
My thought exactly!
The best thing about a ppc is that it is a small computer!
So it gives you a lot of freedom.
But if someone just want's a good phone then buy a Nokia! And if someone just want's a good multimedia phone then buy a iphone!
cr1960 said:
whatever you buy you will get bored with it and envy some new model that comes out a week after you buy your new device......
the good thing about windows mobile devices is that at least you can fiddle around and add new stuff, change the interface etc. keeps you interested just that little bit longer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly I really want an iPhone because everything about it is just so polished, but im sure to get bored of it. I HATE my polaris sometimes, but fiddling around with it is just so much fun, Windows Mobile is crap, but trying to fill its inadequacies is fun in a twisted way.
adderz91 said:
Exactly I really want an iPhone because everything about it is just so polished, but im sure to get bored of it. I HATE my polaris sometimes, but fiddling around with it is just so much fun, Windows Mobile is crap, but trying to fill its inadequacies is fun in a twisted way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought a lot about the iPhone.
But .. as far as I know, it will not run TomTom.
Also, it is sealed- you can't replace the battery or get at the memory card.
AND - iTunes is terrible (imho), I much prefer Windows Media player for playlists.
What next, phone wise?
C'mon!, you cant compare a winmo device to an iphone, you're severily limited on the iphone platform (they just meet copy&paste and a2dp now for example), I'd never buy one of those devices, you wouldn't have the flexibility we have with winmo, and more thanks to communities like this... and it means a big thank to every developer here for your dedication and time.
cr1960, when I said before that the device performs bad I meant everyday use, I understand that if you want to play intensive 3D/2D graphics better buy an game console for example, or want the best GPS, buy a garmin or want the best photos, get a dedicated camera, etc; but no, it's the everyday use of Polaris that is affected, slow drawing, and is the very only one problem I see (video drivers), everything else is OK, the hardware specs of the Polaris don't have anything to envy other devices even more "modern" ones, 400Mhz is not any slow by the way, I'll put an example: the youtube app can't show decent video just choppy one and more processing power will help little without proper drivers (and as far as I know there are other HTC devices with more power than Polaris that have the same rendering problem), but watch the same video with Coreplayer (those guys someway figured how to talk directly to video hardware), and you'll see smooth video low CPU usage, see my point? It's not about demanding unrealistic performance from our beloved device, just that is underperforming in typical everyday use as it is now (maybe deliberate?).
Asking the polaris to run full size mpeg2 videos or do h264 or run quake at 60fps is unrealistic, asking it to run 320*240 videos smootly or show menus quickly or do smooth dragging inside google maps isn't.
The interesting thing is that the video driver (when 3D/2D hw acceleration is available) problem plagues most devices that use qualcomm not only HTC, even other manufacturers; I dont see much that problem in other chipsets, where it seems manufacturers dont have much problem adding correct drivers, maybe qualcomm doesnt make it easy to device manufacturers to add correct drivers?, some say so, dunno.
I've had it for like 4 months now and i keep trying to convince myself its a good phone but reality is it has NOOO ADVANTAGES over Iphone WATSOEVER... its slow as ****K and i can't even sync it with my pc anymore, theres no good games for it AT ALL, NO good applications, NO good panels, the housing cracked even though i take care of it like my eyes, The volume buttons stoppd working 5 minutes ago out OF NOWHERE... REALITY IS PEOPLE WANT IT TO BE GOOD BECAUSE ITS A SONY ERICSON... SORRRYYY this phone is pathetic... waste of 3 billz...
haha, man you should have just bought the iPhone. There are days I feel like this though.
- There are many advantages over iphone (just hints: flash, multitasking, costumization etc.)
- If you install proper rom, that phone can be really fast
- What games would you want? There are many great games for WM i think you just dont know to search.
- No good applications? Stop kidding me.
- No good panels? OK i cant say about that one because i dont use panels.
- Im currently lucky and i have no hardware issues (cracking, buttons etc.) so i rather say nothing.
- I buyed that phone because it was best Windows Mobile phone for reasonable price and not because of brand (i prefer Nokia over SE).
P.S.: Why are everyone judging phone by comparison to iPhone? This is like comparing saying truck sucks because its not as fast as race car. iPhone is made for joking, there is no costumization and walls are everywhere, while windows mobile phones are not as awesome out of box, you need to costumize it and make it like you want. If you want everything out of box and walls, buy iPhone, else stick with WM.
let's hope you stay that lucky with your hardware - mine's been to repairs for 8 weeks in 11 months...
and please, stop putting lipstick on the pig called "x1" - it's firmware is bad. sw-support by SE is nonexistent/dead/dropped since end of march 2009. it's build-quality is evil. it's a phone which had high potential, but never had a chance because of the manufacturer. and by the looks of it, they're trying to pull the same stunt with the x2. games?! well, there would be some, yes. but without accelerometer this put's some limits to it these days? oh, did i mention the crappy graphics-driver? it's supposed to support opengl es 1.1 - well, sometimes it does, sometimes not.
the threadstarter uses harsh words, but he's still right.
I agree completely about the build quality. WTH is up when the phone starts cracking for no apparent reason!
Panels are useless. Games, don't know about this cause I've never found mobile games fun at all.
If we're not comparing it to the iphone, we could compared it to the touch pro 2, which I think seems better.
Im currently running Nrgz rom its heaven compared to stock... i want SOME games that the iphone has, good graphics good gameplay, but the biggest limitation is tha since x1 isnt multitouch screen it can't play majority of those games, i've played need for speede xperiment 13(best of all, but not really action), xtract, and THATS ITT thats all the xperia games specifically made for xperia, i've played star craft its not bad but ofcourse it'll get boring, right now im playing monopoly the most... but my friend crushed my world when he showed me the monopoly on his iphone... its beautiful LOL no homo, 3d smooth gameplay etc.
just be done with it and get the iphone. dont agonize yourself anymore. i too wanted an iphone but i sure wish it had a better resolution.
keep the x1 as a backup to mess with.
im not into gaming so the x1a does everthing i need it to do. no cracks (had it about 1-1/2yrs), dropped it twice (still no cracks, just a few scratches) and still using the original rom. the only thing that i dont like on the x1a is the small screen.
ive had some good luck with my phone and winmo (rarely any lockups or freezes). i was seriously thinking about getting the hd2 for my next phone but since winmo seems to be changing their operating system, ill just hold off for another couple years if my phone last that long.
I love how every third thread in this forum is about how bad the X1 is.
Somebody start one about how much people love it
No other device competes with the iphone for usefulness primarily because of its app store and cydia.
Big advantages of the X1 off top of my head:
- Keyboard
- Slimness
- Camera Flash
- Flash mobile
- Metallic build
- Screen resolution
- User replaceable battery (I max out my iphone battery)
- Win Mo/Android/Ubuntu all in one device
- X panels is pretty neat IMO.
- Emulated games in Morphgear using hardware keys
Try Valkarie Leo firestorm ROM. Its really good and stable so far. I do know what you mean about slowness in some ROMS.
As for basic programs alot of them are good: web, PDF, Movies, Text etc For more advanced and exotic apps you need an iphone or a pocket computer Although opera mini is so fast you can use a lot of web based apps.
Better still get an X1 and cheapo Ipod Touch 2nd gen JB. Battery goes down like hell using iphone for calls and everything else.
no matter how much the X1 pissed me off i still wouldnt of resorted to the iphone. its the phone equivalent of those tattoos every other girl has got on her lower back. lol. they look ok at first then you realise that everyone else has got one and theyre common and skanky!!
bgeorgi said:
I've had it for like 4 months now and i keep trying to convince myself its a good phone but reality is it has NOOO ADVANTAGES over Iphone WATSOEVER... its slow as ****K and i can't even sync it with my pc anymore, theres no good games for it AT ALL, NO good applications, NO good panels, the housing cracked even though i take care of it like my eyes, The volume buttons stoppd working 5 minutes ago out OF NOWHERE... REALITY IS PEOPLE WANT IT TO BE GOOD BECAUSE ITS A SONY ERICSON... SORRRYYY this phone is pathetic... waste of 3 billz...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're right that people who can't type properly and who don't know (or want to know) how to set-up their WinMo phone to suit them are more suited to the iPhone. Same for people who think that writing in capitals makes their comments stand out, when really people just laugh at you shouting at the world.
This could be good for you though, since you'll either have to learn some things or put up with something you don't like.
Saying that everyone bought it for the SE name is pretty retarded, since neither Sony nor SE have much of a reputation left in their respective fields. I can't stand Sony: it's a HTC phone which SE commissioned and made a loss on, but it's a great phone if you set it up right.
What were your reasons for choosing the X1? Sounds like either you didn't have any, or you don't have one and you're one of those stupid teenagers who troll around shouting about how great the iPhone is hoping to have some influence on the world: like the ones who try and persuade you how to vote for by making up propaganda. Luckily for the world, most of you outgrow it by 25.
at45 said:
I think you're right that people who can't type properly and who don't know (or want to know) how to set-up their WinMo phone to suit them are more suited to the iPhone. Same for people who think that writing in capitals makes their comments stand out, when really people just laugh at you shouting at the world.
This could be good for you though, since you'll either have to learn some things or put up with something you don't like.
Saying that everyone bought it for the SE name is pretty retarded, since neither Sony nor SE have much of a reputation left in their respective fields. I can't stand Sony: it's a HTC phone which SE commissioned and made a loss on, but it's a great phone if you set it up right.
What were your reasons for choosing the X1? Sounds like either you didn't have any, or you don't have one and you're one of those stupid teenagers who troll around shouting about how great the iPhone is hoping to have some influence on the world: like the ones who try and persuade you how to vote for by making up propaganda. Luckily for the world, most of you outgrow it by 25.
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Click to collapse
He must have needed a reliable keyboard. The keyboard is not reliable.
He must have overestimated the screen size (I thought 3 inches was big, but boy I was wrong).
He must have never used Windows Mobile before, you either love it for the way it is or hate it for the difficulty of use.
He must have wanted a device that did not crack and that was resistant to wear and tear.
These are my reasons. Being that everyone said that the keyboard was amazing, I bought it. Being that everyone said the screen was huge. I bought it. Being that the X1 broke my Windows Mobile virginity, I expected it to be appealing and easy to use as if a little child can learn to use it; but no, now I am considering a different OS...probably Android because I love simplicity but require the complexity of windows mobile. Being that every reviewer stated the build quality is the BEST OF THE BEST, I never expected it to crack and loose keyboard sensitivity, let alone the loosened battery cover that several others have reported.
The true lesson is, do not listen to ANY professional reviews, because the reviewers usually just review it for a few months. You need to wait 1 year and a half to truly get the actual details for the long run.
And the best way to finally decide if you want the device or not is to listen to people like him; well not him, people like him except who explain in detail why the phone is not for them.
My opinion
I believe that i was as hype as everyone else was when the x1 was introduced with its great intro campaign and website. but the main issue is that sony abandoned it. i think( my opinion) that the x1 would be as great as the i phone if wm had a great app store with apps for everything even the useless stupid but fun apps and if they worked hard on making the panel concept the next big thing. i only change my panels when i want to change my theme easier. other then that every program can be opened without the panel thingy. i still use my x1 and havent switched to the i phone probably only because of the developers on this site. its even more sad to say that it seems that sony realized that there traditional wm stock phones cant compete with iphone that theyve changed the title and he entire ui for wm7, which will not be availible for x1 or x2. the x1 and all the availible roms are still great for now but i believe (my opinion) that Iphone will reign supreme for numbers of years to come even without screen resolution, flash, emulating and all the other things we use to make ourselves feel better. The backbone of X1's aare the developers on this site, not sony.
It's sad to read thread like this. I absolutely love my X1 and have not regraded buying it. The only thing that annoyed me was the freezing when I first bought it but flashed to 6.5 and that has stopped. Cracks: I've dropped my phone many time so I expect cracks. Screen Size: Coming from the Moto Rokr E6 with a screen size of 2.4inch with a res 240X320, the X1 screen is big upgrade and i love it. Speed: Try Touch it Roms or Rostrain Blaze roms, I've never tried the rom your using nor do i want to by the way your describing the speed. Aslo for Speed have you tried the Teksoft Speed Booster APP,Advance Config 3.3 ,BsB Ram sweeper 2, and SK Tools?, They all works well in my phone. Games: Have you played Assassin Creed HD, Asphalt 4 HD, Call of Duty 2(only works for 6.1 roms sadly) or even the PS1 Emulater(FpseCE0.10)? Pm if you want a good site for games. And as graphics go have you tried different Video drivers like Driver Pack 3, X2 Video drivers, SJ SamsungOmina_Driver_D3D? I run them all in my phone except the Driver Pack 3 because of the 6.5. Like people said if you set your phone up right then it is a real joy to have. Also Keep in mind This is my first WM phone ever(Lots of people warned me not to get WM) and I had my phone for 5 month and my Keyboard works fine never had an issue. Man if you wanted the I-phone to begin with then why didn't you just get it? You should of known that I-phone and the X1 are 2 complete different phones and Having hopes that the X1 was supposed to be like the I-phone was silly.
Assuming you use the X1 in landscape with Opera Mini beta 5 full screen you will be getting 95% of the screen estate of iphones safari web browser (because of all the headers etc). Similarly holding the phone a bit closer increases the magnification. No multitouch for sure but scrolling with the D pad at the side is fun when consuming webpages.
The phone isn't that bad if you have a high tolerance for the technicality.
i have to agree that this phone is ****. I really do.
But im not gonna compare it to the iPhone because thats like comparing apple and banana. iPhone and Xperia have their own segment and target market.
Now that that is straight, the phone is an utter **** because the way SE package the whole thing as a premium phone. I had mine on January 09 and expecting the device and CS would be good, instead the device keyboard lost sensitivity after just 2 months, keyboard cracked after 6 months, and SE pulled the plug on the software after the R3A.
To me, that is just crap. Their Customer Service is just so dumb that i don't want to see them anymore. Don't know about other country, but they simply crap in my country.
I asked them to replace my cracked keyboard and initially the CS said that i will lose all my data. Since when replacing and cleaning keyboard needs a hard reset huh? after that, the CS asked me to leave the device in their custody until the next stock of keyboard comes. They ran out of it when i went there. They told me to wait for around a month or so. A full month without my phone. Crazy.
After lengthy verbal argument, i got them to order the keyboard while i still keep the device. They will contact me when the keyboard comes. This was at the end of November 09.
guess what?
they never called. Nothing .I still am waiting for their call.
bunch of liars...lucky i sold my phone in december. I had enough of it.
mr_sheen said:
i have to agree that this phone is ****. I really do.
But im not gonna compare it to the iPhone because thats like comparing apple and banana. iPhone and Xperia have their own segment and target market.
Now that that is straight, the phone is an utter **** because the way SE package the whole thing as a premium phone. I had mine on January 09 and expecting the device and CS would be good, instead the device keyboard lost sensitivity after just 2 months, keyboard cracked after 6 months, and SE pulled the plug on the software after the R3A.
To me, that is just crap. Their Customer Service is just so dumb that i dont want to see them anymore. Dont know about other country, but they simply crap in my country.
I asked them to replace my cracked keyboard and initially the CS said that i will lose all my data. Since when replacing and cleaning keyboard needs a hard reset huh? after that, the CS asked me to leave the device in their custody until the next stock of keyboard cones. They ran out of it when i went there. They told me to wait for around a month or so. A full month without my phone. Crazy.
After lengthy verbal argument, i got them to order the keyboard while i still keep the device. They will contact me when the keyboard comes. This was at the end of november 09.
guesswhat?
they never called.I am still waiting for their call.
bunch of liars...lucky i sold my phone in december. I had enough of it.
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Click to collapse
Wow reading that post, that's Bullsh!t how they played you like that. I haven't had to deal with CS yet I guess I'm lucky...... so far.
@poetryrocksalot:
of course reviews are only made after weeks of usage, not years. And it's not them to blame about the cracks - admit it: the phone seems like high build quality compared to other slide smartphones. F.e. a guy in my class who owns the iPhone always says how nice the metal feels like. Compared to the Nokia N97 which is crap, the SE Xperia feels solid. Feels better than an iPhone imho.
But if you wait a year if that phone really is a good one before you buy it, than its old and what you get is a solid phone with old software...so make a decision what you want =)
@mr_sheen
this story is really sad. I talked to SE service in Germany last Thursday and sent it in Friday. The parcel has not arrived at their repair centre, but they told me already they have something like the 48 hours policy. Once my phone arrived they'll look after it and then it back no later than 48 hours (2 days) what absolutely is acceptable. Hopefully they make it true and also replace the housing (cracks in 4 different places...droped it once but not from a high place...). Phone still looks like new...and also they told me Id lose all my data and I had to go back to stock ROM and spl what was a pain in the as*...
But I think that has nothing to do with the Xperia. Every manufacturing says you'll lose data even if they only change hardware (or are supposed to do so..) maybe I even get a new phone..Thats what I still hope =)
X1 is the best phone i've ever owned. And i say that knowing how crap SE handsets have become.
It's just so much fun to play with and getting more versatile all the time. And after 12 months ownership and hard usage, i still have no cracks or hardware issues
Hello!
I'm still not sure about the tattoo, but since alot has with the development in the past months I thought I'd ask a couple of questions concerning your current satification kwith the HTC Tatttoo.
1. If you think about the issues that where real in the beginning (a big part of the market was closed for tattoo owners etc), how has these issues changed (perhaps many has disappeared now that you have root/custom roms?
2. Do you regret not buying a phone with a biger screen/higher resoluton? If so, which phone would you have bought instead for around 400 USD / 300 EUR.
3. For those who have tested a 2.1 rom on the Tattoo: Does 2.1 make the phone more responsive and less laggy (if you experienced lag before)? Does it solve any other issues that you had with the device?
4. How long are you planning to stick with the Tattoo before upgrading to another (android) phone?
5. What are your thoughts of the build quality of the device?
6. Would you recommend buying the htc Tattoo today concidering the price range stated in question #2?
Any other thoughts are also welcome=)
Thanx!
1. Still not great. I didn't realise the resolution of the device was going to limit it so much. Plus the camera doesn't have autofocus so barcode scanners dont work among other things.
2. I regret it, but its a free contract phone and im not paying £40 a month for an iphone.
3. not tested but may do soon!
4. Not impressed with android tbh...
5. Feels solid for the money. No complaints.
6. I personally wouldn't recommend it. Its a fun toy but a terrible phone. I think its far to slow. Hopefully this will change with future updates but I would stay away.
1. Still not great. I didn't realise the resolution of the device was going to limit it so much. Plus the camera doesn't have autofocus so barcode scanners dont work among other things.
2. I regret it, but its a free contract phone and im not paying £40 a month for an iphone.
3. not tested but may do soon!
4. Not impressed with android tbh...
5. Feels solid for the money. No complaints.
6. I personally wouldn't recommend it. Its a fun toy but a terrible phone. I think its far to slow. Hopefully this will change with future updates but I would stay away.
1. I've noticed that many apps became available later in the Market after devs added the QVGA tag for them. But it's still something greatly missed.
2. The smaller screen is a slight disadvantage which I was fully aware of when purchasing it, though the 7 home screens kinda make up for it.
3. I will test 2.1 in the weekend. Apparently it is much faster than 1.6.
4. Probably till the end of this year.
5. I'm pleased with the build quality. No issues there.
6. All I can say is weigh the pros and cons and decide for yourself. I bought this just to gain experience with Android.
Thanx alot for your input guys!
Sorry for the long questions, I thought I wouldn't get any answers because of that=)
sheik_yerbouti said:
3. I will test 2.1 in the weekend. Apparently it is much faster than 1.6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd really like to hear about how you experienced 2.1, and I hope
that it will provide you with a richer experience!
Me and my brother are currently looking at both the HTC Tattoo and the samsung i5700 "spica". Both phones has issues though.
What worries me the most is that the Tattoo might be a bit laggy and that is why I have such hopes in 2.1.
The Tattoo also seems more sturdy than the spica and I'm almost certain that I will accidently drop it some time.
I also like the fact that you can change the cover.
Some follow up questions: For those who has tried phones with a wider color range(?) than Tattoos 65k, spica has ~16 million,
will I really notice that much difference? I saw that the Hero had 65k too and that phone was a huge sucess.
3. Some reviews state that the resolution makes some text look blurred, is this something you have experienced?
How is the screen quaity in general (considering color range is only 65k) and what about video playback?
It's a shame that you can't try the phones in the stores here.
I tried installing 2.1 today, but I got to the Tattoo screen during startup, and then went to a blank screen. Waited for about 10 mins. So recovered the phone, and installing other ROM's now.
PS: I'm in MOD-installing-mood this weekend!
[B said:
Some follow up questions[/B]: For those who has tried phones with a wider color range(?) than Tattoos 65k, spica has ~16 million,
will I really notice that much difference? I saw that the Hero had 65k too and that phone was a huge sucess.
3. Some reviews state that the resolution makes some text look blurred, is this something you have experienced?
How is the screen quaity in general (considering color range is only 65k) and what about video playback?
It's a shame that you can't try the phones in the stores here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally notice the lack of colour depth (coming from touch diamond) but its a payoff to having a phone that will fit comfortably in my pocket (unlike the Hero = chin)
Theres not that much blurriness (imho) but you can notice it. Overall its a good android experince but I will be looking to the desire or legend for my next phone as long as they pass my pocket test!!
ragzy said:
I'd really like to hear about how you experienced 2.1, and I hope that it will provide you with a richer experience
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I tried installing it again after wiping my phone, and it installed fine. It's REALLY fast. Nice animations between opening windows. Bluetooth File transfer works after installing the BFT app. It was certainly a richer experience. Despite its current flaws, I'll be using it as my primary OS.
ragzy said:
Hello!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi mate!
ragzy said:
I'm still not sure about the tattoo, but since alot has with the development in the past months I thought I'd ask a couple of questions concerning your current satification kwith the HTC Tatttoo.
1. If you think about the issues that where real in the beginning (a big part of the market was closed for tattoo owners etc), how has these issues changed (perhaps many has disappeared now that you have root/custom roms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With custom ROMs, the Market is fully available for Tattoo owners. This was the biggest issue I've had, since I'm a big lover of Twidroid and I can mark it as *SOLVED*!
ragzy said:
2. Do you regret not buying a phone with a biger screen/higher resoluton? If so, which phone would you have bought instead for around 400 USD / 300 EUR.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the only real problem I have had is the full-qwerty keyboard in portrait mode. It's just a matter of attitude, though. Having used it for 4 months now, I'm able to write very long text messages in a very short time (even if I mainly twit ), and most of the time I disable the automatical corrector as I write both in Italian and in English. The very first days I was in a real pain, coming from a simple T9 Nokia, I felt the full-qwerty was really uncomfortable, but now everything is changed and I can't live without my full qwerty
So, I don't regret. Anyway, before buying the Tattoo I was taking some several looks at the Hero which should now cost around 300 EUR.
ragzy said:
3. For those who have tested a 2.1 rom on the Tattoo: Does 2.1 make the phone more responsive and less laggy (if you experienced lag before)? Does it solve any other issues that you had with the device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never experienced lag with Tattoo but I'm not a big fan of gaming. I mainly use it for music, Google Maps (man, this is amazing!! I was in holiday some days ago with my gf and we were looking for a damn archeological site which was not on our map and not on the road signals, after walking around for about 30 mins I fired up Google Maps, searched for "Archeological Site" and BANG! He got us there, amazing. AFAIK, no GPS software is capable of such a search tool!), Twitter, Wikipedia, YouTube and all of those stuff you can do online.
The only way to make the phone very laggy is to use the RadioFM along with the GPS, but it's not a "daily" thing you do I guess.
As for the 2.1 ROM it's amazing. Even if it has not Camera and some stuffs are buggy, it's a GREAT ROM, man it's faster than hell, amazing animations, rewritten Messagging and Google Talk apps which are GREAT, every contact has its own tab which is more than good-looking and.. it's great!
ragzy said:
4. How long are you planning to stick with the Tattoo before upgrading to another (android) phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TBH, I'm already planning to change the phone but this has nothing to do with the Tattoo, it's only that I really love the Nexus One and I'm waiting for the summer as it should be available in Italy and I should have enough money But, really, nothing to do with Tattoo, it's perfect for me.
ragzy said:
5. What are your thoughts of the build quality of the device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And.. this is a bad point. The plastic in which the stock cover is built it's not perfect. After a couple of months I've had some scratches (not in the display, though) and I'm now buying a new cover.
ragzy said:
6. Would you recommend buying the htc Tattoo today concidering the price range stated in question #2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. If that is your budget and if you don't plan in gaming all day long the Tattoo is definitely a perfect phone for you. As you can see, I'm enthusiastic with it, I use it all day, I tweet, I go to Facebook while I'm on the train, I Google, I maps, I read newspapers, I.. do almost everything. Perfect.
i like my tattoo very much. i paid 60-70 euros for it and since I'm a quad rider I usually wear gloves and the screen let's me handle the phone without taking them off.
if my other phone was ok i would have waited for Nexus to launch.
probably in 2011 i will sell it or when nokia morph is launched... :-??
sheik_yerbouti said:
So I tried installing it again after wiping my phone, and it installed fine. It's REALLY fast. Nice animations between opening windows. Bluetooth File transfer works after installing the BFT app. It was certainly a richer experience. Despite its current flaws, I'll be using it as my primary OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Sheik - I didnt realise the devs had a rom that was that close to being the finished item - any other probs withthe rom - i.e. all of the widgets and screen sizes ok? 3g or data and wifi ok etc?
Most of the perks, I can live with. Wi-Fi is a little dodgy, but I can partly blame my router for that. Speed and connectivity problems even with the stock ROM. Of all the widgets I have, they work fine. The Music player needs to be worked on as its size exceeds the Tattoo screen both in portrait and landscape mode. My phone doesn't have 3G. I'm still stuck on 2G, and it works just fine.
Thanx everyone for your replys!
Here is an update from me=)
I have had a spica home for testing but I'm sending it back today I did not like the build qualiy, also has less ram than tattoo, and no sense ui). Me and my brother got the spica for the same price as e new htc tattoo (spica was B-grade" though). No more B-grade for me, one of the charger pins was a bit bend and both the charger and the phone was really dusty, the seller assured it was not in "used condition" though.
I can't help but wonder if the Tattoo would have been a better choise=P
As Genargo pointed out, the tattoo seems to handle 2.1 pretty well (while other sources state that samsung spica lags when scrolling through menues and pulling up the menu (even though this is a official 2.1 release).
But our android craving has been put on ice, atleast for the moment.
gengaro said:
I was in holiday some days ago with my gf and we were looking for a damn archeological site which was not on our map and not on the road signals, after walking around for about 30 mins I fired up Google Maps, searched for "Archeological Site" and BANG! He got us there, amazing. AFAIK, no GPS software is capable of such a search tool!), Twitter, Wikipedia, YouTube and all of those stuff you can do online.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sums it up quite nicely, I mean that is is for these kind of moments I want a android phone with me music / gaming and video (divx) is not that important. I guess I see it as a more portable netbook.
Perhaps I should wait and see how android matures, I bet there will be many new models this year. It's amazing how fast android is evolving. Too bad there is no perfect device, I bet there never will be. Another thing that worries me os the dust problem on bothe the HTC hero, Nexus one and the desire (?). Dust underneath the screen would drive me mad=P
Right now there does not seem to be a android phone with a really nice and sturdy buid quality out there. Legends aluminum would scratch too easyli in my opinion and I don't like the cheap feel of the buttons. Hero feels great, too bad that it has the "dust issue"=/
Well the question is in the title...
Is it unwise to upgrade an HD2 for a Desire HD ? (Average Cost of upgrade is around 250 dollars at the moment)
It's almost the same phone on paper... Is it really that noticeable ?
Sure, why not?
1. Do you have $250 to spare?
2. Do you prefer to have a native android phone?
Also, this would be better fitted for the Android lounge
its ultra stupid , miscellaneous differences if ur not gaming , buy some clothes for urself or somthin for ur girl(cough android phone cough)
unwise... much worst, upgrade? better think downgrade, Desire it always be a Desire, your HD2 could be what ever you want... think wise.
Thats my advise.
desire hd uses the new snapdragon processer so i say go for it, i sure would.
itsedstech said:
desire hd uses the new snapdragon processer so i say go for it, i sure would.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
processor is still 1ghz, difference in performance is most likely base on marginal differences between the architecture between the hd2 8250 and the new desire chip, most likely though, differences are very negligible.
I say just use the desire hd build for a while. m-deejay's one is quite good right now, especially with the hasterin 7.6 and the newest libhtc_ril_wrapper.so and save some money.
slackersink said:
I say just use the desire hd build for a while. m-deejay's one is quite good right now, especially with the hasterin 7.6 and the newest libhtc_ril_wrapper.so and save some money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok . i really think you should read my post as it might be really helpfull for you.
i also had an HD2. Tmobile version " even tho i dont live in US but i wanted the extra rom "
however, i sold it for Galaxy S. mainly for :
- i wanted better screen. the HD2 screen is perfect size. better than 4 inch screen the galaxy S " for my own taste anyway "
however. the HD2 colors are really lacking. did you try the roms available in the HD2 ? some of the widgets like google voice command. youtube, facebook etc really look like ****. the colors of the device as far as i have been told is 65k only.
even some of the wallpapers you see stupid haze of different colors in between the wallpaper {pics} because the HD2 color lacking wasnt able to mix the 2 colors in between.
the Desire HD. doesnt have this problem. the colors are in millions.
also. with all respect to HD2 devs out there. cooked rom is a cooked rom. it will never be perfect. and 3 mins booting every time you restart the phone is ****ty.
HD2 are for owners who want to try Android before they buy it.
but if you come to love an android OS. u will need a native machine to run one.
i do agree that 250$ is alot of money. and you would want to think twice before you spend this money.
to be honest between my HD2 and Galaxy S was only 130$ i paid . thats why i went for it.
but since your asking if its worth it or not. it means you really into mobile phones and new tech just like me and many others here. and when you see the Desire HD in your hand you wont resist.
go for whatever your heart desire man. life is too short not to have fun with things u like. its not like your gona die because u spent 250$ on something u like.
one more thing.
i think u should hold on buying Desire HD for while. it seems most units have a defective problems. sensor etc. whatever HTC issue a recall or release a software upgrade, you should wait.
Havent you seen the threads around the net waning ppl that the phone is malfunctioning, what is a phone when you can't properly call with it..
otakubakaa said:
processor is still 1ghz, difference in performance is most likely base on marginal differences between the architecture between the hd2 8250 and the new desire chip, most likely though, differences are very negligible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the performance difference is not marginal. its around 1.5 faster. dont let stupid 1Gig number fool you.
HTC G2 is 800Ghz and it destroy the nexus 1 and Desire 1 Ghz. why ?
however. the base of the android software development is nexus 1 "google actually give you a free nexus 1 phone to develop if you are a developer "
so with nexus 1 as a standard. it will be almost impossible to find a game / app that use Galaxy S, Desire HD, G2, whatever super phone available " right now "
so aside from less lagging while scrolling. lil faster fps during games, faster booting etc. he wont tell the difference.
its not a jump from G1 to Nexus1 .
I got offered a Desire HD on contract the other day, and I was tempted but declined (mainly as they wanted £35 a month and I'm not paying that much for a phone over two years).
I asked to play with one and it was nice software wise, I prefer the feel of my HD2 in my hands tho. I use the MDeeJay FroyoHD build and software wise I really couldn't see much difference.
I love the fact that I've got a 4.3" screen and if I were to upgrade to an Android native phone it would definitely be the DesHD, but not right now with so many possibilities coming up for the HD2. You won't be able to run WP7 or MeeGo on the DesHD.
As for the comment about the screen only being 65K colours... Microsoft themselves say it's a 262K colour screen here ok so it's not the 16M colours of the DesHD, but it works perfectly for me.
Reno_79 said:
As for the comment about the screen only being 65K colours... Microsoft themselves say it's a 262K colour screen here ok so it's not the 16M colours of the DesHD, but it works perfectly for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
65k or 256 is not much of difference.
also
i am sorry but how can you say its perfect when half of the wallpapers look like **** ?
when you try to click on the voice command in the google widget and an ugly pop up of black get in ur face and tell u " hi say i am ugly "
or when you download the facebook widget and you see the white level is not the same with weird ugly difference in color ? or youtube ? or any gray solid wallpaper in the background ?
any picuter that is rendered using " millions " colors. will look bad at HD2.
thats a fact.
now. is it worth to upgrade? up to u. are you happy with ur phone ? up to u.
but dont compare both phones as if they are the same when they are not
cmon
ll_l_x_l_ll said:
i am sorry but how its perfect for you when half of the wallpapers look like **** ?
when you try to click on the voice command in the google widget and an ugly pop up of black get in ur face and tell u " hi say i am ugly "
cmon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's perfect for me because 1: my wallpapers don't look **** (why do you have to resort to swearing to try and get your point across?) I have noticed one tiny part of banding on one wallpaper I made myself but it also colour bands on my laptop so no biggy, and 2: everything that I use my phone for (calling, texting, internet, market, games, DLNA, music, satnav, msn, appointment reminders, emails) work perfectly on my current build. I use my phone probably about 6 hours out of my working day and 2-3 when I'm at home if I'm not with my gf and I get no errors, no force-closes, no times when I think "I wish I'd never bothered". If you're not happy with Android on your HD2, don't run it and don't complain.
The things that don't work for me are:
Youtube: I have a laptop and a desktop for this so don't care that it doesn't work
Camera: That's not the devs fault and I own several digicams anyway
And that's it as far as I'm aware.
Reno_79 said:
It's perfect for me because 1: my wallpapers don't look **** (why do you have to resort to swearing to try and get your point across?) I have noticed one tiny part of banding on one wallpaper I made myself but it also colour bands on my laptop so no biggy, and 2: everything that I use my phone for (calling, texting, internet, market, games, DLNA, music, satnav, msn, appointment reminders, emails) work perfectly on my current build. I use my phone probably about 6 hours out of my working day and 2-3 when I'm at home if I'm not with my gf and I get no errors, no force-closes, no times when I think "I wish I'd never bothered". If you're not happy with Android on your HD2, don't run it and don't complain.
The things that don't work for me are:
Youtube: I have a laptop and a desktop for this so don't care that it doesn't work
Camera: That's not the devs fault and I own several digicams anyway
And that's it as far as I'm aware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1- you are right about its perfect for you. so i edited my msg. you can have a htc magic and it can be perfect u. for that i am sorry.
2- i am not cussing to make a point. and if you think saying the word "****" to an object is cussing. then you need to go out more. no hard feelings.
3- no one said the phone cant run Android very well. it runs perfect. i am sorry but where did i complain about the HD2 being flawed aside from the fact it screen is bad and it takes 2 mins to boot ? i am a new owner of samsung galaxy and i already hate the fact i cant switch roms from Desire HD / HTC G2 etc like i used to do with HTC HD2. there are many things HD2 have nice things in it.
dont read my posts as a challenge to you or your phone :/
ll_l_x_l_ll said:
1- you are right about its perfect for you. so i edited my msg. you can have a htc magic and it can be perfect u. for that i am sorry.
2- i am not cussing to make a point. and if you think saying the word "****" to an object is cussing. then you need to go out more. no hard feelings.
3- no one said the phone cant run Android very well. it runs perfect. i am sorry but where did i complain about the HD2 being flawed aside from the fact it screen is bad and it takes 2 mins to boot ? i am a new owner of samsung galaxy and i already hate the fact i cant switch roms from Desire HD / HTC G2 etc like i used to do with HTC HD2. there are many things HD2 have nice things in it.
dont read my posts as a challenge to you or your phone :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It really did sound like you were trying to slam the HD2 as the capable device it is. (I remember when the Magic came out, trust me that phone is perfect for no-one lol)
I honestly don't think it's a bad screen. Yes it has a minor limitation, every phone has something that's less than perfect. You learn to live with it as there are no perfect phones out there. I am being honest tho when I say I notice no banding on almost all wallpapers, pictures, games or anything else I use on my phone so it's never been an issue to me.
Anyway, think the OP wanted a pretty direct comparison between the two phones, which he's had a few of. Let's let someone else give their opinions.
ll_l_x_l_ll +1 troll
You, by your own admission, don't even have an HD2 anymore. Go and troll in the Samsung forums
What if the upgrade cost is 150$ from HD2 to Desire HD ? Go for it ?
I love the HD2 but I am sick of following updates on new ROM developments and all that, I just want it to work now.
Silencer23 said:
I love the HD2 but I am sick of following updates on new ROM developments and all that, I just want it to work now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
even the DHD has new firmware update on the HTC site since yesterday or so
ppca. said:
unwise... much worst, upgrade? better think downgrade, Desire it always be a Desire, your HD2 could be what ever you want... think wise.
Thats my advise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i agree.....
If you can afford go for it.. i M looking for wp7...n this time will go for samosung or dell due to amo- super amoled screens.
Hi guys, so I'm buying a phone, would you recommend me x8. If yes why, if not why not?
Ya surely i will recommend Its a simple handy n compact samrtphone with great features..
I would buy one if I could a cheap place to unlock it...
Hi. I just got one X8 for my wife. I have played with it for a while, and it works great.
It looks nice, feels nice, and it works nice.
But there are two things that I don't like:
1. UI: I didn't find it very practical and I wasn't able to find a way to change default color scheme; that's a kind of a problem, because apps in drawer have white letters and home screen background stays even when drawer is opened, and if you have some white parts on background, then you can't read names of apps.
On other hand, my wife likes UI, so it depends on personal preferences will it be a problem, or not.
2. lack of some decent document reader; my wife will sometimes like to read some PDF books on it, but I wasn't able to find good PDF reader that will work on this phone. For example, I have on my Galaxy S ThinkOffice witch was supplied as stock app with phone, and it's great for any document reading and editing. So, it will be a good thing if this phone had at least some decent viewer.
All in all, it's a nice phone, and it will be nicer when update to android 2.1 comes, and I can recommend it to anybody who is new to smartphones and android, or someone who want's small, practical and simple smartphone (with good looks). Also, I can recommend it to advanced users who need nice backup phone or second phone, beside more potent devices from top models.
koberko said:
But there are two things that I don't like:
1. UI: I didn't find it very practical and I wasn't able to find a way to change default color scheme; that's a kind of a problem, because apps in drawer have white letters and home screen background stays even when drawer is opened, and if you have some white parts on background, then you can't read names of apps.
On other hand, my wife likes UI, so it depends on personal preferences will it be a problem, or not.
2. lack of some decent document reader; my wife will sometimes like to read some PDF books on it, but I wasn't able to find good PDF reader that will work on this phone. For example, I have on my Galaxy S ThinkOffice witch was supplied as stock app with phone, and it's great for any document reading and editing. So, it will be a good thing if this phone had at least some decent viewer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=9311463meed
1. You could try ADW Launcher from the market. You can tweak it to feat your needs, feels fast and you can add more widgets on the same screen.
2.I am using BeamReader and it does it's job. Decent PDF reader. Find it on the market also.
Comming from a HTC Hero, Xperia X8 doesn't have that sturdy build, the back cover cracks a lot but feels ok in the hand and looks good. Android 2.1 will be a big improvement as the hardware is quite good for its price, UI and 3d games run smoother than on the Hero (even on 2.2.1). Very good for a mid class device. I recommand it. Also, battery life is decent for a smartphone.
I got one, and my emotions are a bit mixed. Sort of a love-hate relationship.
Edit 2: Text below was written before the release of 1.6. I am now running 2.1, and have no problems with games, and is generally happy about my x8.
As I see it, there's 2 major cons to this phone. Firstly, the very very low priority on upgrades for Android version. I bought mine with a promise of an october update to 2.1. Now it's late november, the x10's have gotten their upgrade, and I'm still waiting... till the end of 2010 by the looks of it. No official word on 2.2 or 2.3 update yet... Not promising imo. With the time it took updating the x10, I can't think how it'll be for future updates to the x8, seeing it got even lower priority than the x10's. I'd stay away from SE until they show some sign of shaping up their update policies.
Games... if you like games, get another phone. The only game that doesn't freeze up after 10secs-15minutes is Alchemy. Anything more graphics intensive, and it'll freeze up. It runs the games just fine until it freeze tho. If this is due to ancient android version, I have no idea. But I guess since the games are compatible with 1.6, they should run on an 1.6-phone. This applies to Angry Birds, Zenonia, Blow Up, Yumsters, you name it... pretty much any game I've tried. It's not isolated to my phone either, if you google the issue yourself.
On the other hand... ignoring these issues, I think its a very good phone for it's price. If you don't mind not having access to the latest apps, or not being able to play games, you might like this phone alot... however...
If I was to make the choice again, I'd go with another manufacturer that has a track record of putting out android updates fairly quickly...
Edit: Forgot to mention the annoyance of all the bundled demo versions of apps and games that you simply cant remove from your phone unless you root it. Another little sign of Sony Ericsson simply not "getting it".
droidjens said:
I got one, and my emotions are a bit mixed. Sort of a love-hate relationship.
As I see it, there's 2 major cons to this phone. Firstly, the very very low priority on upgrades for Android version. I bought mine with a promise of an october update to 2.1. Now it's late november, the x10's have gotten their upgrade, and I'm still waiting... till the end of 2010 by the looks of it. No official word on 2.2 or 2.3 update yet... Not promising imo. With the time it took updating the x10, I can't think how it'll be for future updates to the x8, seeing it got even lower priority than the x10's. I'd stay away from SE until they show some sign of shaping up their update policies.
Games... if you like games, get another phone. The only game that doesn't freeze up after 10secs-15minutes is Alchemy. Anything more graphics intensive, and it'll freeze up. It runs the games just fine until it freeze tho. If this is due to ancient android version, I have no idea. But I guess since the games are compatible with 1.6, they should run on an 1.6-phone. This applies to Angry Birds, Zenonia, Blow Up, Yumsters, you name it... pretty much any game I've tried. It's not isolated to my phone either, if you google the issue yourself.
On the other hand... ignoring these issues, I think its a very good phone for it's price. If you don't mind not having access to the latest apps, or not being able to play games, you might like this phone alot... however...
If I was to make the choice again, I'd go with another manufacturer that has a track record of putting out android updates fairly quickly...
Edit: Forgot to mention the annoyance of all the bundled demo versions of apps and games that you simply cant remove from your phone unless you root it. Another little sign of Sony Ericsson simply not "getting it".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uhh, you know those 'bundled demo's are put there by your provider, right? Not the fault of SE. Rooting then nuking them isn't hard. Also, I've had no problems with games on my phone, Angry Birds works fine.
It's disappointing about the lack of Android updates though. Sony Ericsson really need to release the boot-loader code or something.
The default home-screen is pretty terrible. Get ADW or something.
All up, it is very worth it, seeing as it is one of the cheapest Android phones out there. Unless you can afford something better, I'd recommend it.
a-k-t-w said:
Uhh, you know those 'bundled demo's are put there by your provider, right? Not the fault of SE. Rooting then nuking them isn't hard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to clear things up. I bought mine sim-free with only the stuff SE themselves put on there. If I didn't remove it already, I'd post a list for you. It wasn't hard to get rid of, but that doesn't make it any more right, imo.
Interesting that your birds aren't freezing. But thats another discussion.
I like this phone and actually I "downgraded" from the X10 mini because I could not use the small screen on the X10. It is a very good phone for the money, good screen, good battery and I like the SE UI.
But... I see the appalling quality of the camera goes without mention in this thread?
If you want to take some pics with the phone: Avoid. No auto focus and no flash means if you are not outside in daylight you have to be lucky to snap a decent picture.
Worst camera on a mobile phone I have used in years! Not a problem for myself, but be warned.
Thank you guys, Well I have about 10 days to choose: GT540 or X8, they are bouth same price here in Croatia. My main concern about X8 is interface, can it completely be changed with some program, theme, etc?
As others mention, you can use interface replacements like ADW Launcher on the X8. This lets you put more than the default 1 widget pr screen, adds a quick-launch bar and allows for scrollable widgets like Pure Messenger.
I have no experience with the GT540, but I can't help but notice that it's got a resistive, not capacitive screen. If I was considering buying one, I'd definately go to a store and check out if the screen seems less responsive than the one on X8.
CROrION said:
Thank you guys, Well I have about 10 days to choose: GT540 or X8, they are bouth same price here in Croatia. My main concern about X8 is interface, can it completely be changed with some program, theme, etc?
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Yes, you can change the interface with ADW Launcher (Launcher Pro does not support 1.6 but once 2.1 arrives, there will be no problem). I rooted the device and used SystemApp Remover to remove the stock interface and bundled crapware. I would choose the X8 simply because it has a capacitive screen. Resistive is so old school
I recommend this phone to everyone than x10 mini/pro. According to the price and features. Although the camera is bad. But x8 is better than x10 mini/pro.
Gunawan-GN Multimedia-X10i
With the release of 2.1, scratch all my previous comments. For its price, the x8 is a good little device, imo.
droidjens said:
With the release of 2.1, scratch all my previous comments. For its price, the x8 is a good little device, imo.
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i've read many reviews of X8 and other phones in same price category.. and i think now, x8 is best.. but.. i never had Android-phone so.. can u advise me to buy X8 as first Android?
and.. how bad is the camera? and how soon we will be able to root it? approximately
sory about my poor english.. and thanks for answers in advance
WARR10r said:
i've read many reviews of X8 and other phones in same price category.. and i think now, x8 is best.. but.. i never had Android-phone so.. can u advise me to buy X8 as first Android?
and.. how bad is the camera? and how soon we will be able to root it? approximately
sory about my poor english.. and thanks for answers in advance
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The camera is not so bad actually. Just because no light or flash. But still good in light condition and mms usage.
Oh yes. And no smile detection, face recognition, macro, focus,etc. The camera is just so plain.
Gunawan-GN Multimedia-X10i
droidjens said:
I got one, and my emotions are a bit mixed. Sort of a love-hate relationship.
Edit 2: Text below was written before the release of 1.6. I am now running 2.1, and have no problems with games, and is generally happy about my x8.
As I see it, there's 2 major cons to this phone. Firstly, the very very low priority on upgrades for Android version. I bought mine with a promise of an october update to 2.1. Now it's late november, the x10's have gotten their upgrade, and I'm still waiting... till the end of 2010 by the looks of it. No official word on 2.2 or 2.3 update yet... Not promising imo. With the time it took updating the x10, I can't think how it'll be for future updates to the x8, seeing it got even lower priority than the x10's. I'd stay away from SE until they show some sign of shaping up their update policies.
Games... if you like games, get another phone. The only game that doesn't freeze up after 10secs-15minutes is Alchemy. Anything more graphics intensive, and it'll freeze up. It runs the games just fine until it freeze tho. If this is due to ancient android version, I have no idea. But I guess since the games are compatible with 1.6, they should run on an 1.6-phone. This applies to Angry Birds, Zenonia, Blow Up, Yumsters, you name it... pretty much any game I've tried. It's not isolated to my phone either, if you google the issue yourself.
On the other hand... ignoring these issues, I think its a very good phone for it's price. If you don't mind not having access to the latest apps, or not being able to play games, you might like this phone alot... however...
If I was to make the choice again, I'd go with another manufacturer that has a track record of putting out android updates fairly quickly...
Edit: Forgot to mention the annoyance of all the bundled demo versions of apps and games that you simply cant remove from your phone unless you root it. Another little sign of Sony Ericsson simply not "getting it".
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I agree, usually when I get my x8 I will install a lot of games. And it is lack of space, I can't install more apps unless I modified it so that I can apps 2 sd. So now I just use it for browser, ebbudy and listening to musics. that's what I did to x8. If you want a gaming phone get lg optimus or galaxy s. xperia arc I wouldn't reccomend so much is because it's just like x10 just added some graphic card or what-so-ever, why not I get a lg optimus which is cheaper than arc? lol
Xperia X8 isn't perfect phone... but I don't regret it, that I've bought it. Firstly, stock camera app is really weak, but when I've installed Vignette, my photos looks really decent. Stock ROM isn't so laggy, but app like Apps2SD forced my to change launcher. So, if you're planning to buy a Xperia X8, buy it, and obtain some XDA great 2.2.1 or 2.3.4 ROM