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It looks nice - but where's the advantage?
It's smaller and it has a higher resolution camera - but it has less RAM, the CPU is no quicker than the Himalaya's and the Angel's and it's still fumbling around at 320x240!
HTC want to get off their arses and do some more R&D - they seem to have forgotten that the only way to make something desireable to the consumer is to make it better than the competitors and keep the costs low.
They seem to have done very well at it so far - but I fear they'll be overtaken by the likes of HP if they keep producing devices with same or similar specs to one another. The XDAIIs really isn't a great leap forward from the XDA2 - the only extras it has are a keyboard and WiFi, and the battery lasts a little longer. And I have to say I'm very glad that it's not been called the XDA3 - as some members of this forum suggested, it is only really an XDA2.5!
Of course, this could be a very-much-likely-to-fail attempt to secure business in other areas. Yes, the Magician is a PocketPC and a phone, but it's still bigger and more expensive than the i-pod - and has only 3.2% of the storage capacity! All the same, it's advertised as a music playing device. You can pick up a little USB MP3 player for a fraction of the price with four times the storage capacity, or an iPod for half the price with a 20Gb hard disk. In other markets, they really aught to be looking at a complete landscape solution rather than a half-baked portrait system if they hope to pick up business from those who are put off by the price & lack of connectivity of, say, the OQO 1 (www.oqo.com)
Speaking of storage - I picked up a pair of 1Gb SDIO cards on eBay for around £50 (~72€) each!
HTC actually makes the HP units and also does the Treo 600 series units. Apart from RIM, they have no competion in these devices (as most other competing units are also prduced by them).
madkat said:
It looks nice - but where's the advantage?
It's smaller and it has a higher resolution camera - but it has less RAM, the CPU is no quicker than the Himalaya's and the Angel's and it's still fumbling around at 320x240!
HTC want to get off their arses and do some more R&D - they seem to have forgotten that the only way to make something desireable to the consumer is to make it better than the competitors and keep the costs low.
They seem to have done very well at it so far - but I fear they'll be overtaken by the likes of HP if they keep producing devices with same or similar specs to one another. The XDAIIs really isn't a great leap forward from the XDA2 - the only extras it has are a keyboard and WiFi, and the battery lasts a little longer. And I have to say I'm very glad that it's not been called the XDA3 - as some members of this forum suggested, it is only really an XDA2.5!
Of course, this could be a very-much-likely-to-fail attempt to secure business in other areas. Yes, the Magician is a PocketPC and a phone, but it's still bigger and more expensive than the i-pod - and has only 3.2% of the storage capacity! All the same, it's advertised as a music playing device. You can pick up a little USB MP3 player for a fraction of the price with four times the storage capacity, or an iPod for half the price with a 20Gb hard disk. In other markets, they really aught to be looking at a complete landscape solution rather than a half-baked portrait system if they hope to pick up business from those who are put off by the price & lack of connectivity of, say, the OQO 1 (www.oqo.com)
Speaking of storage - I picked up a pair of 1Gb SDIO cards on eBay for around £50 (~72€) each!
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No bells ringing on those two points there? Basically you just stated that for a piddly 50 bucks, this thing becomes 1GB MP3 player - and that's in additon to being a full-fledged PDA and mobile phone. And still no bigger than vanilla mobile phones.
IPOD is a music player, but with this kind of range of capability of the "Magician", the IPOD reall starts to look like and old carthorse. Even where the IPD is going (displayig photos) the "Magician" can do that ith a better and bigger screen.
One could really argue that you are unduly downplaying the importance of this kind of device and this is where the market goes from here on in. I'd suspect that whatever follows the "Himalaya" will stick with this form factor and just load load on power and cababilities.
That was me posting above.. Login didn't work and it turned up as "guest".
Its JUST RIGHT
Guys
I dont know what the JAM is advertised as, but I went ahead and bought one last week and I just love it.
THe form factor is just right, the screen isnt as small as we would like to think it is - in fact I havent noticed any discomfort from the smaller screen.
Okay its not different in specs from the other devices, but this one just fits into your life unobtrusively - with the Qteks (both 1010 and 2020) as well as my first Pocket PC phone (Sagem WA3050) it was difficult to keep track of all the things you had to carry. Suddenly, life has become so much easier with the phone fitting very nicely into a belt pouch no larger than that for other mobile phones.
I am glad I made the change to the JAM, and the only cribs I have are that the build quality isnt as good as the earlier pieces - it feels really plasticky sometimes - and I wish they'd stuck to the 1010's design for the SIM card because I switch cards quite often and it is quite a chore with this new unit as the battery cover doesnt come off as easily as it did with the 2020.
And yeah, I would have preferred built-in WiFi to a 'megapixel' camera. Dump the camera, give us WiFi...
I think we're going to be seeing quite a few devices in this form factor now - EVERYONE who's seen the JAM wants one.
Cheers
Sands
madkat said:
Yes, the Magician is a PocketPC and a phone, but it's still bigger and more expensive than the i-pod - and has only 3.2% of the storage capacity! All the same, it's advertised as a music playing device. You can pick up a little USB MP3 player for a fraction of the price with four times the storage capacity, or an iPod for half the price with a 20Gb hard disk. In other markets, they really aught to be looking at a complete landscape solution rather than a half-baked portrait system if they hope to pick up business from those who are put off by the price & lack of connectivity of, say, the OQO 1 (www.oqo.com)
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iPod 20 GB for 299,00 Euro the only thing it does is play music.
Why would I need 20 GB mp3 on my body?
BTW I paid 479,00 euro (without contract) for my Magician....
I think the iPod is a fashion statement just like the first iMacs.
Only those iMacs where ****ty computers and the iPod is a nice mp3 player.
(and as all Mac-thingies way to expensive)
BUT to compare the iPod to the Magician is plain silly.
I can do anything with my Magician. (even swop the accu!)
Or scan barcodes. (www.flicscanner.com)
Offcourse we all want a device the size of a matchbox with all the gadgets packed in.
I would like a 21 inch 1600 x 1200 display beamed from that matchbox on the wall
and a keyboard beamed from that same matchbox on my desk.
A 300 Terra byte disk and a zillion gigahertz proc inside!
In the mean time why don't you buy a Magician and see for yourself what it can do right now.
Why am I getting the feeling that the magician is way too expensive in Sweden? My eyes almost popped out when i read that it is 479 € in your country.
I paid 595€ which was in a cheapstore, the other one i looked in took 659€!
:/
It really is a great device though, the size made me buy it, I can have it in my jeans pocket just like any "ordinary" cellphone. The only bad thing is that I got a dead pixel and I really hope they will replace the unit because it's purple and in the middle of the screen :/
Hi!
Maybe you should buy the MDA compact (same as iMate Jam) in Germany for around 400 EUR. Even with shipping to "somewhere" in Europe it'd be cheaper. Of course you need to flash an english ROM to it - or learn german...
I really didn't know that we're sooo cheap here.
Greetings
plant
Is it really 400 euros? You must be kidding me!
i bought one for 459€...
EDIT: http://fonez.de/pd1101545991.htm?categoryId=27 <- 439,64€
attention, the site is in german!
Hi!
No - I'm not kidding.
The cheapest price I was able to get was 397 EUR excl. shipping (but including german VAT which is 16%).
Just check out http://www.geizhals.at/de and search for MDAcompact - the cheapest price at the moment is 426 EUR (incl. VAT, excl. shipping).
Proof: http://www.geizhals.at/deutschland/a130814.html - as you can see the first 2 shops are rated quite good.
Beware: Site is in german.
Greetings
plant
Pocket PC phone (Sagem WA3050)
sandyind said:
my first Pocket PC phone (Sagem WA3050)
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Hi, I have the same device, It seems that it is build by HTC too
Any linux hack experiences on it ?
--
http://rzr.online.fr/q/xscale
Hi Ppl,
I new here and new to PDA as well. After see everything in the market...
I have really liked the Atom Life.....But There seem to be quite few bad reviews about the Phone......So is worth getting the phone......
@tazzak m8 firstly hi and lemme say one thing that i surely feel what you are going through right now that is exactly what i felt in august (at the time of my buying the LIFE)
you know since then i have actually wondered and awed at why the LIFe got such reviews .... since my buying this phone which had come with the WM6 official ROM installed (though i have upgraded it twice officially since then) i have had no problems NO PROBLEMS what so ever...
though i surely have a few qualms that guys at O2 could have had an icing to the cake with a 128MB RAM (though this is not any slower) and the other complain is that all hardware vendors should do something bout the Batteries as these PPCs are huge power hogs due to their large screens it seems but then even with my Nokias i charge them daily (with regular use)
in the end i must say that my choice has never been a regret for me !
welcome to the world of Windows Mobile ;-)
How are the Speakers on it OK?
I usually use the spaeker phone for calls most of the time......
just dont buy this devise
The speakerphone is OK, but the volume isn't high enough to use it as a car handsfree. If you're in a room without much noise you should be good. I am very satisfied with mine, but they do have their quirks. Like a crappy original battery. Get one of the cheap batteries available on eBay, it will actually work better than the original. The original has problems with restarts on incoming call if they are too low on power (which means everything below 50 %).
Mastiff said:
The speakerphone is OK, but the volume isn't high enough to use it as a car handsfree. If you're in a room without much noise you should be good. I am very satisfied with mine, but they do have their quirks. Like a crappy original battery. Get one of the cheap batteries available on eBay, it will actually work better than the original. The original has problems with restarts on incoming call if they are too low on power (which means everything below 50 %).
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Yup! agree should try it out before getting it. O2 Atom Life has its flaws
Like all PDA phones I've ever had. I actually started with an extremely primitive Motorola "smartphone" and have followed the development of more and more advanced models, along with straight PDA's from the PocketLoox and beyond, until they really converged. Not one of them has been without flaws, and strangely enough all forums I have been at seems to think that their phone brand is the only one with problems! (Like people with PocketLoox complaining about the bluetooth and that Ipaqs got a lot more updates. So I bouht an update. And found out that the reason it got more updates was that it had more problems, not just with bluetooth but other things as well!)
sounds like the phone gives a pain in the ass.
Just my opinion. been using O2 life for 4 mths now. Like most new phone/pda, I will start to install lots of stuff. Cause me lots of headache with auto off , drop call etc. Battery last less than 1 day. I have reformat and install only what I need. 1 whole month without any problem. The thing is, just install what you need and the world will be a beautiful place
I have a special way of doing this: I do a full setup of the Atom with all programs I use and all settings except contacts and appointments. Then I do a full backup with SPB Backup. In a month or so the unit wil start to mess with me (the first sign is usually that it won't charge in the cradle, connected to the PC, only in a regular charger). Then I do a hard reset and restore the backup. It takes 10 minutes to do this, and I have a virginal phone again. I have of course set camera and other things to save to the memory card. This way memory leaks and other annoyances can be stopped very fast!
Great phone - and other things
Like you, I read the negative reviews but there wasn't a device out there that somone didn'nt like. I bit the bullet and upgraded my XDA II Mini which was OK but I had some gripes with and bought my new Life. It's been a great device with absolutely no problems. It even works well as a speakerphone but my car is pretty quiet. Simple solution - run the phone through your stereo, either using an FM transmitter or plug it in and you'll have no problems hearing.
My phone is very stable but I do agree that the stock battery life is crappy.
Highly recommended.
Actually, Atom Life is an excelent device but it has its flaws. What made it a bad device is because of the support. Most problems faced by customers are not solved. Instead, customers are asked to hard reset as the solution.
O2 Asia is terrible. The new company, MGW seems to be no different. It has been about 4 months MGW existed but their web page remain unfinish. This is mainly because the CEO is the same person.
If I ever change my PDA, I'll go for HTC. Why? O2 Xda II mini which is O2 Asia bestselling device is made by HTC, or better known as Magician.
MWg is selling a newer version which comes with WM6 pre-installed. Does anyone have that version? Is it any better?
Mobileplanet / Expansys is selling it at 399 which makes it a great deal IMHO.
Adamantite said:
MWg is selling a newer version which comes with WM6 pre-installed. Does anyone have that version? Is it any better?
Mobileplanet / Expansys is selling it at 399 which makes it a great deal IMHO.
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I am selling this phone cheaper. I am using it and I really like Atom Life, especially since the 1900 3G works well with AT&T in the US.
Alright. I had the X1 as my main phone for a decent amount of time. Year and a half or two maybe (decent for me, I go through a new phone every six months). But it recently fell beyond repair and I switched to the nexus one, figuring it would be a good place to jump into that whole android world. I do like that world too, however, I miss windows mobile and I miss my Xperia. Now with the X2 floating around, I have a few questions.
1. Does anyone have any prolong Xperiance with the x2?
2. What are the major Cons?
3. What are the major improvements (user opinion) over the x1. Not just the spec list, but look and feel, and help online, roms, etc etc.
4. Would it be worth trading my nexus one for? I miss having a keyboard, and I want TV - out.
5. Lastly, TV - Out, is it horribad?
I didn't seen a x2 forumn, so I posted here, move if necessary. Thanks!
i havent had experience with it, but i know the keyboard on the X2 is much better in look and feel. i want one myself
Pros: It adds 8M camera and has a flush screen. Accelerometer. Nice new Panel interface
Cons: No conventional D-pad. Little support from XDA-Devs. High price.
I don't feel like the X2 has enough benefit to upgrade. If it was less expensive and had XDA-Dev support (it doesn't because it is not an HTC-made device so it has very different software) I would be looking to get one. Using the same processor and RAM certainly makes it harder for me to justify getting one. I'd say get a nice cheap X1 and save up for the next top-shelf model. IF you must upgrade perhaps an HD2.
P.S. I have not had hands-on time with the X2, just YouTube vids and tech reviews so my opinion is only semi-informed.
ive had the X2 for a couple months. price is no different to the X1 when it came out so id consider it no more or less expensive (and if you sell on your existing X1 then the cost to upgrade is cut in half) i got mine from ebay for £375.
ill warn you of the cons first...
battery life for me is quite bad but i can live with it. the X1 wasnt that great for me to be honest so im kind of used to it. expect to charge it daily.
at the moment the firmware isnt quite up to scratch but once again its no worse than the X1 was when i first had it. theres a firmware update due this month so hopefully that will sort a lot of the problems.
loss of the dpad, but you get used to it. i find i use the touchscreen more anyway.
as mentioned before, no support for XDA-devs so if youre into replacing roms every five mins youll be dissappointed. but a lot X1 software still works on the X2, just not everything.
the hardware inside is the same as the X1 so dont expect any major speed improvements when using software. but i was happy enough with the speed of the X1 anyway so not a problem for me.
currently theres no front camera for videocalling and no FM radio support but these will both be activated in the forthcoming update.
Pros.
construction is far superior. back to the quality i expect from sony.
i find the overall design much better and more attractive. the curved back makes it look smaller and less of a brick even though its near enough the same size. side by side with my X1 it makes the X1 look very dated indeed.
keyboard has a very nice feel to it. ive not used it long enough to detect any problems but im more confident it will last.time will tell of course. the keys arent squidgy or crunch when pressed. when its opened it feels reassuringly tight as it slides and snaps into place. the x1 felt more sloppy and when opened didnt feel all that sturdy.
the screen is a tiny bit larger but is much clearer and sharper. its also flush with the body which a lot of people wanted.
it currently has wm 6.5 and soon to have wm 6.5.2 and then wm 6.5.3 in a couple of months.
the overall experience is much better. the X1 always felt to me that it was a pocketpc with a phone tacked on as an afterthought. the X2 has a much better dialer and phone interface. feels like a proper phone now.
improved camera, ive not used it much but seems better from the few times ive used it. (although the multishot function doesnt work, id imagine this is one of the bug fixes in the upcoming update)
ive not used the tvout so cant really comment, not something id use to be honest.
i liked my X1 but it was falling apart, so im pleased i upgraded to the X2. if you wish to return to the xperia experience then i think you would be happy, just dont expect any major upgrades. consider it more of an X1.5 and then you wont be dissappointed. between a cheap X1 and the more expensive X2 then id definately recommend the X2 (unless the X1 was very very cheap of course.lol) dont pay any more than £400 ($700) theres plenty available for less than that price.
anothadave said:
ive had the X2 for a couple months. price is no different to the X1 when it came out so id consider it no more or less expensive (and if you sell on your existing X1 then the cost to upgrade is cut in half) i got mine from ebay for £375.
ill warn you of the cons first...
battery life for me is quite bad but i can live with it. the X1 wasnt that great for me to be honest so im kind of used to it. expect to charge it daily.
at the moment the firmware isnt quite up to scratch but once again its no worse than the X1 was when i first had it. theres a firmware update due this month so hopefully that will sort a lot of the problems.
loss of the dpad, but you get used to it. i find i use the touchscreen more anyway.
as mentioned before, no support for XDA-devs so if youre into replacing roms every five mins youll be dissappointed. but a lot X1 software still works on the X2, just not everything.
the hardware inside is the same as the X1 so dont expect any major speed improvements when using software. but i was happy enough with the speed of the X1 anyway so not a problem for me.
currently theres no front camera for videocalling and no FM radio support but these will both be activated in the forthcoming update.
Pros.
construction is far superior. back to the quality i expect from sony.
i find the overall design much better and more attractive. the curved back makes it look smaller and less of a brick even though its near enough the same size. side by side with my X1 it makes the X1 look very dated indeed.
keyboard has a very nice feel to it. ive not used it long enough to detect any problems but im more confident it will last.time will tell of course. the keys arent squidgy or crunch when pressed. when its opened it feels reassuringly tight as it slides and snaps into place. the x1 felt more sloppy and when opened didnt feel all that sturdy.
the screen is a tiny bit larger but is much clearer and sharper. its also flush with the body which a lot of people wanted.
it currently has wm 6.5 and soon to have wm 6.5.2 and then wm 6.5.3 in a couple of months.
the overall experience is much better. the X1 always felt to me that it was a pocketpc with a phone tacked on as an afterthought. the X2 has a much better dialer and phone interface. feels like a proper phone now.
improved camera, ive not used it much but seems better from the few times ive used it. (although the multishot function doesnt work, id imagine this is one of the bug fixes in the upcoming update)
ive not used the tvout so cant really comment, not something id use to be honest.
i liked my X1 but it was falling apart, so im pleased i upgraded to the X2. if you wish to return to the xperia experience then i think you would be happy, just dont expect any major upgrades. consider it more of an X1.5 and then you wont be dissappointed. between a cheap X1 and the more expensive X2 then id definately recommend the X2 (unless the X1 was very very cheap of course.lol) dont pay any more than £400 ($700) theres plenty available for less than that price.
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nice to hear from an x2 owner, wanted to ask about the included earphones sound quality, is it any good and could you recommend a place one could be got for less than 400£
the included headphones arent too bad. depends how much of an audiophile you are! theyre the in ear type but not the ones that go deep into your ear. i actually kept hold of the X1 headphones as i was used to them. but sound wise theyre very similar. i thought it would be better to sell on unused headphones with my x1. i found the sound quality was much better using pocketplayer rather than the supplied media player. pocket player has dsp plugins with bass boosters and equalizers etc. sony of course are famous for the walkman brand so do know a tiny bit about music lol. they wouldnt package anything too cheap and nasty. i would say theyre a decent mid range set and personally im quite happy with the sound quality. the x2 has a standard 3.5mm jack of course so you can always use a different set of headphones.
i got my X2 from ebay. theres plenty on there right now for just under £400. i was lucky to get one privately which was about £50 cheaper than the rest. i dont think they knew the value of what they where selling
this one is currently £370
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sony-Ericsson...MobilePhones_MobilePhones?hash=item335b24f895
theres plenty of others for around £389 - 399. most from hongkong though but they do tend to give away some free goodies. theres currently an X2 on auction for around £200 but i think its a used one.
thanks for the information on the earphones and also the ebay listings. good to hear the audio quality is decent. hopefully i'll get my hands on one soon.
Me finally and hopefully this week.
lol i hope i havent bigged up the headphones too much if youre going to listen to music then hunt down pocketplayer... its not too hard to find theres a big difference in the sound quality compared to wmp and looks very good when its full of albums with the cover art. probably my top recommended software for any wm phone to be honest.
Haha. Thanks for all the thoughts... Though I still can't decide. I LOVED my X1. It did fall apart however. The earpiece stopped working, (had to do calls on speakerphone or bluetooth). Then the flash stopped working for a little, but I managed to fix that. Recently it stopped working again. Whats funny is the case is cracked up, and stuff isn't working, but the screen (with no screen protecter EVER) Is still pristine.
X2 should be just as awesome, though I like the whole changing roms thing, and xda has been so helpful with my x1. I do like my Nexus one and the whole 1ghz processor and android has been fun. Though I think I may trade it for the x2 to help cover the cost We'll see. If any of you all are interested in that trade, send me a PM. I'm not quite set on it yet, but it's possible.
rickyzone said:
Haha. Thanks for all the thoughts... Though I still can't decide. I LOVED my X1. It did fall apart however. The earpiece stopped working, (had to do calls on speakerphone or bluetooth). Then the flash stopped working for a little, but I managed to fix that. Recently it stopped working again. Whats funny is the case is cracked up, and stuff isn't working, but the screen (with no screen protecter EVER) Is still pristine.
X2 should be just as awesome, though I like the whole changing roms thing, and xda has been so helpful with my x1. I do like my Nexus one and the whole 1ghz processor and android has been fun. Though I think I may trade it for the x2 to help cover the cost We'll see. If any of you all are interested in that trade, send me a PM. I'm not quite set on it yet, but it's possible.
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Rick'
What are the downsides to Android compared to WM 6.5.5? A lot of are thinking of making the jump now that WP7 sounds like a half-ass iPhone. Any thoughts?
Rick'
What are the downsides to Android compared to WM 6.5.5? A lot of are thinking of making the jump now that WP7 sounds like a half-ass iPhone. Any thoughts?
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Well, and I read this a lot, noticed it with my nexus, android doesn't seem quite as mature as winmo, and a lot of the good stuff requires a rooted phone which of course voids the warranty. Everything I ever used the phone was there though (phone, message, email, gmail (two different apps, wasn't streamlined, didn't have an issue though), web access (no flash yet), games (always love all of gamevils games i'll pay for em), and ftp access to my webserver.) I didn't like androids soft keyboard when compared to my old iphone 3gs. Game selection wasn't all that great, but apps were still solid, many of them at least. Other then that though, no issues. I think I've tried every Mobile OS on at least a few phones except a few, and Android is definitely tied up there with windows mobile.
rickyzone said:
Well, and I read this a lot, noticed it with my nexus, android doesn't seem quite as mature as winmo, and a lot of the good stuff requires a rooted phone which of course voids the warranty. Everything I ever used the phone was there though (phone, message, email, gmail (two different apps, wasn't streamlined, didn't have an issue though), web access (no flash yet), games (always love all of gamevils games i'll pay for em), and ftp access to my webserver.) I didn't like androids soft keyboard when compared to my old iphone 3gs. Game selection wasn't all that great, but apps were still solid, many of them at least. Other then that though, no issues. I think I've tried every Mobile OS on at least a few phones except a few, and Android is definitely tied up there with windows mobile.
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Thanks, dude, that's helpful.
This is a reposting of my full review (with images) @ my blog. There are photos there if you want to see.
Introduction and History
Eighteen months ago, I began my transition from feature phone (Sony Ericsson W910i) to Smartphone Sony Xperia X1i. As a shameless fan of Sony Ericsson, I opted for the Xperia X1i based on wanting to better understand the Windows Mobile ecosystem and because the promised feature set was supposed to be game changing.
It wasn’t.
To be fair, it wasn’t as bad as you may think and my first Smartphone experience was mostly positive. As an active Microsoft Outlook user with my own hosted Exchange account, the Windows Mobile platform was actually a really great fit for keeping my email, calendar, and tasks synchronized. In fact, the Xperia X1 was an essential gadget for the planning and follow-through of my wedding and honeymoon.
So, what was missing?
As I started to use more features of the phone there were some glaring issues that became apparent to me.
First of all, the inability to take advantage of the 3G speed of the phone eventually became a handicap. Initially, it wasn’t an issue since T-Mobile had no 3G in my area. However, as T-Mobile USA’s AWS 3G network was built out, I was forced to live with EDGE speeds.
Secondly, the one thing that bothered me was that despite all the abilities of the phone, I always felt it was a step behind me. One way I would describe it is that it simply felt “slow” and despite being able to multitask, I found myself waiting for the phone to get things done.
Thirdly, the platform was not very exciting. One of the benefits of the Windows Mobile platform, a diversity of hardware selection and legacy support, is also its Achilles heel. Because there are so many variations of operating system, hardware form factors, and screen resolutions, there are less compelling applications available.
Lastly, the Xperia X1 had capable hardware and some unique features but Sony really did their customers a disservice by never helping the device fully reach its potential. The early firmware was buggy and seemingly half-baked; the device only really became very useful after using custom ROMs available from XDA Developers (which became a practice I did frequently).
With this in mind, I started looking late last year for a replacement. Coincidentally, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 was announced in November and it seemingly met my needs…on paper. The announcement created a lot of buzz in the blogosphere and it piqued my interest since it was the most powerful Android device announced at the time.
The only problem was it took them more than 5 months to actually ship the product and a crop of device launched with competitive features in addition to newer version of the Android OS. Even with this knowledge, I decided to give Sony Ericsson a chance and give in to the siren call of the Xperia X10. Would I be burned as an early adopter again? After two months of real world usage, it’s time to share my story but first, let’s see what attracted me to the phone in the first place.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mobile Phone
Marketed as Sony Ericsson’s flagship Android device, Sony Ericsson describes the product as the following:
· Sony Ericsson XPERIA™ X10 introduces an open and integrated world of social media, communication and entertainment.
· XPERIA™ X10 is the flagship phone in a family of phones coming to market during the first half of 2010. The XPERIA™ X10 will be available in Q1 2010.
· New UX (user experience) platform lets consumers organise everything and discover more with the most open, human and intuitive user experience yet.
Source
Those are pretty bold statements. To backup these expectations, Sony Ericsson has equipped the Xperia X10 with some pretty powerful hardware.
Specifications
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 1GHz CPU
- 384MB of System RAM
- 1GB NAND Flash
- 8GB (or 16GB) Class 2 microSD included. The device supports up to 32GB.
- Android OS 1.6 “Donut” with custom UX (User Experience)
- 4” 854x480 pixel (FWVGA) TFT Touchscreen capable of 24-bit (16 million) color
- 1500 mAh Lithium Polymer Battery (BST-41)
- 8.1 MP camera with auto focus, face recognition, geo-tagging, image and video stabilization, smile detection and touch focus
- Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE - 850/900/1800/1900Mhz
- Tri-Band UMTS HSPA 900/1700/2100Mhz (international model) or UMTS HSPA 800/850/1900/2100Mhz (Americas/Australia model)
- Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, 802.11b/g wireless internet, aGPS, 3.5mm audio jack, microUSB port
- Dimensions: 119 x 63 x 13mm @ 135g (4.8 oz)
The hardware alone is not differentiating feature of the Xperia X10. Instead, Sony Ericsson has introduced a new UX (User Experience) platform to run on top of the standard Android interface. This initial version of the platform focuses on multimedia and social integration with new features and capabilities being added over time. Now, let’s look at the actual device.
First Impressions
I’ve always felt that higher-end Sony Ericsson devices to be of high quality. There’s almost always a certain level of fit and finish and the Xperia X10 is no exception. The body, a combination of plastic, glass and metal, is beautiful to behold and carries an air of stylish elegance. While some people may automatically equate the use of plastic with cheapness, I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised with how the device feels in hand especially with its curved back. Weighing in at 135g (4.8 oz), the device feels solid when held with the right amount of heft for the size.
This combination of the materials doesn’t seem to affect the strength of the chassis and the Xperia X10 easily stands up to my pressure test. I applied a decent amount of force (squeezing the device hard) all over the device and listen for a “creaking” noise and to my delight there was none.
I also appreciate the lanyard loop hole. A lot of phones don’t have these anymore and I think they’re more important now than ever since these devices get used all the time and the cost of replacement is not cheap.
Screen
The Xperia X10 has a scratch resistant mineral glass screen. To my surprise, my unit also came with a screen protector pre-applied. I don’t know if this is standard across all regions or markets but I found this to be a nice touch.
Speaking of the TFT screen, it’s absolutely gorgeous and crazy bright. At 4 inches in size, it’s very comfortable to read and it’s really the first size where I feel comfortable watching visual media on it. Despite the current 16-bit color (65,536 colors) limitation due to Android 1.6, the colors are surprisingly vibrant. The screen can produce 24-bit color (16 million colors) and will do so when the phone is upgraded to Android 2.x. I typically leave the device on automatic brightness settings since it does a good job of setting the appropriate brightness even when I’m outside.
There’s no AMOLED here and for now, I think it’s a great decision. While I’m a huge fan of OLED technology, the technology doesn’t work that well outside in bright daylight or overcast conditions. I find the Xperia X10 to be very readable compared to other touchscreen devices I have like my ZuneHD.
The capacitive touchscreen itself is pretty responsive and behaves as you would expect. I consider the iPhone’s touchscreen to be the best-in-class and in comparison, I’d say the Xperia X10 holds it’s own but it’s definitely not better. In fact, it’s pretty good considering the screen is not multi-touch capable.
Onscreen Keyboard
The Sony Ericsson supplied soft-keyboard is HORRIBLE. It really is. On the plus side, the layout and the convenient arrow buttons are nice; however, the responsiveness is very poor and some keys (on the outer edges) don’t register with any consistency. I don’t know how this slipped past the usability or quality assurance groups at Sony Ericsson. At first I thought it might be the touchscreen but it’s not. It’s the software. I have installed other 3rd party keyboards and they all work very well. My current favorites are SWYPE and the HTC keyboards.
Ports
There’s not too much to discuss since the device doesn’t have many. The 3.5” audio jack is standard and accepts regular stereo headphones as well as microphone-enabled headphones. I like how the micro USB connector is covered in terms of the aesthetics but I’m concerned about the long-term durability since I’m charging the device at least once per day.
Battery
One really interesting thing about the 1500 mAh battery is that it’s exactly the same model (BST-41) used in the Xperia X1 and Xperia X2. There are a couple of benefits here. First of all, it’s readily available and there are lots of accessories/replacements available. Secondly, it’s a good capacity battery and one of the better capacities on the market.
In terms of actual usage, I’ve found the battery essentially lasts one full day with my typical usage. This is acceptable. I’m always surprised by people who complain about this. It’s my opinion that anyone using a Smartphone nowadays should be used to charging their phone constantly. The more features your phone has, the more often you’re going to use it and battery life is going to suffer. If you really need to conserve battery then switching to the 2D EDGE connection can give you a better battery life. Wi-Fi and GPS usage can also drastically affect battery life so your mileage may differ.
User Experience
Sony, and Sony Ericsson by association, is never content with offering a plain, vanilla experience and is always looking to create its own interfaces. Like the Xperia X1’s Panel Interface, Sony has created some value- add software as a means of product differentiation. The centerpiece of the experience revolves around their Timescape and Mediascape applications.
Timescape is a communications aggregation tool which offers the user a means of quickly viewing feeds of their email, text messages, Twitter, Facebook, voice calls, and photos. The essence of Timescape is the concept of the spline. All forms of information are available on the spline and splines can be viewed per information type. It’s a fun way to visualize your communications; however, sometimes it’s not very useful since you can be easily inundated by the amount of information and each item on the spline only displays a little information. So, it’s great for a quick glance but you’ll end up having to open up the corresponding application if you want the full message.
Mediascape works similarly to Timescape by bringing photos, videos and music files together into a single interface. When you first launch it, you’re presented with a thumbnail view of recently used and recently added along with other lists. I found the interface to be usable but I feel like some interface elements are too small and could use larger tap targets. The playback of media is pretty flawless so my complaints are minor.
Other Software
I mentioned earlier that I’m an Exchange/Outlook user and while Android 1.6 doesn’t natively support Exchange, Sony Ericsson has kindly included a full copy Moxier Mail (regularly $24.99 USD) for full Exchange ActiveSync abilities. It syncs mail, contacts, calendar and tasks all over the air so that I’m always in sync with my laptop and desktop. Minimal fuss and I like it.
Camera
In my experience, the Xperia X10 has the best camera I’ve ever used on a mobile phone so far. It’s the first one that actually feels like a regular, if basic digital camera. Will it replace a dedicated digital camera? Not likely.
One thing you should know is that the Xperia X10 doesn’t have flash. Rather, it has a photo light. The difference is that you have to manually turn on the light via the advanced menu. This means you can use the light while framing your subject and while filming video. The only problem is that the light is somewhat anemic so you’re subject will have to be fairly close for it to be effective.
As with most phone cameras, you get the best results during the daytime. My only complaint is that the startup time is a little slow and there is a slight lag when you switch from portrait to landscape shooting since the interface re-adjusts to the orientation.
The video camera feature allows you to capture WVGA (840x480), VGA (640x480), QVGA (320x240), MMS (160x120) and Youtube. Unlike my Xperia X1, I found that the device was able to record and playback any of the allowed resolutions flawlessly. The audio portion is recorded mono. The day after I received the Xperia X10, I was able to test the device at an MC Hammer (Yes, THAT MC HAMMER) concert.
Multimedia
Multimedia duties are handled by Sony Ericsson’s custom Mediascape application which handles videos, photos, and music. My only gripe with the software is that the main interface only works in portrait mode except when you’re playing media (except for audio files). Other than that, Mediascape offers a pretty friendly experience and the standard codec support is decent.
Video playback performance is phenomenal. Codec support is limited to MPEG4, H.263, H.264, and WMV standards. If a lot of your content happens to be in H.264 or WMV format and then Xperia X10 does not disappoint. Not only can it playback DVD-quality (480p) content but also 720p HD content as well! I converted an AVCHD clip from my digital camera and got the resulting H.264 MP4 (1280x720 @ 30 fps ~ 3Mbps) file to play smoothly. Impressive!
I tested audio with two sets of headphones: the included headphones and my reference headphones (Etymotic ER6i noise isolating headphones). The Etymotic ER6i’s provide a flat response and provide a clear, less “biased” sound of the actual device. In general, audio playback is very good and clean. Bass can be a bit punchy at times but the treble is always clear and bright. The included headphone set is actually surprisingly good and they emphasize the bass a little bit more. They’re not the most comfortable headphones, but they don’t sound cheap either.
The audio player portion of Mediascape looks pretty nice and only plays in portrait mode. The homescreen shows you various different quick lists of your music and you can drilldown further to sort through your music. On the player screen itself, in addition to your standard playback buttons, you can do all the usual things like repeat, shuffle, favorite, send, and find other related songs from the interface. Calling up the contextual menu allows you to delete, set as ringtone, get more information, or download album art.
The photo player is also straightforward. You can view photos you’ve taken as well as integrate with Picasa Web Albums and Facebook Albums. This section works in either orientation so you can view images comfortably.
Sony Ericsson provides MediaGo software for free which provides media synchronization. It’s better than their previous software and it works. You can also use DoubleTwist for synchronization.
Connectivity
Xperia X10 offers Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, and 2G/3G cellular connections.
The Bluetooth simply works. I’ve been able to pair the phone to three computers, two phones, various Bluetooth headsets, and hands-free car kits. I like the fact that when I send files to and from my laptop, the files are placed in the appropriate folders (e.g. videos, photos, music) without my intervention. Love it.
Wi-Fi also just works and I’ve had no trouble to connecting to open and secure networks.
Luckily for me, the international Xperia X10i model supports T-Mobile’s AWS 3G network in the United States and allows me to take advantage of the 3G speeds. On average, my ping times are 100ms and I get around 3.35Mbps down and 1.3Mbps up. In some areas, I’ve seen the download peak at 4.46Mbps which is not too shabby! I can finally watch Youtube videos in high quality.
Things I Would Change
Camera: I’d like to see Sony Ericsson take the lead and start implementing a wider angle lens on the camera. A lot of use cases involve close quarter shooting (e.g. taking self-shots of shots of friends, etc) and a wider angle would help take more dynamic shots. A forward facing camera would be nice too. My last three Sony Ericsson phone had this so it’s weird to not have it.
Flash: The flash needs to be addressed in future products. There should be the ability to act like a regular flash and also just be a video light but I know this is OS related. I wouldn’t mind an upgrade to Xenon LED or dual LED setup.
OS: I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Sony Ericsson needs to keep up with the OS updates a lot faster. I understand the value proposition of creating a unique experience, but Sony Ericsson’s flagship device should have the latest and greatest. Sony Ericsson’s insistence on creating their own value-added features and interfaces, while noble, always gets them in trouble since they have an awful track record (i.e. Panels on the Xperia X1) in the execution and timely release of their products. Their value-add software has NO value if a new OS update comes out with a equivalent feature in addition to better performance and even more features.
Multi-touch: I only mention this because I found it odd that Sony Ericsson would ship a device without it since most devices in this class have it on their feature checklist.
microUSB: I love the standardization of the port; however, it would be nice if it was located on the bottom or side so there could be a charging stand for the device.
Who This Product Is For
I won’t lie. The Xperia X10 is NOT for everyone. Technology savvy or cutting edge enthusiasts will likely want to stay away since this product is not currently running the latest Android OS (currently 2.2) and there are a lot of alternatives available if you need to be on the bleeding edge. Also, other than the camera and the design (maybe), the Xperia X10 doesn’t offer anything the competition doesn’t already have. While the Xperia X10 will eventually be upgraded later in September, chances are that it will always be a step behind the latest release due to its custom user experience layer.
Does that mean it’s not worth getting? Absolutely not.
If you ignore the operating system aspect then the Xperia X10 stands out as well designed product that offers a different Android experience that centers around social integration and providing a “better” Android multimedia experience with a big bright screen. If those things interest you then you might like this phone. The upside is that it can only get better once they release the next major update.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’m pretty happy with the Xperia X10 especially when you consider where I was coming from before. Out of the box, the phone has some shortcomings but luckily, nearly all of them can be addressed using third party software available on the Android Marketplace or from Sony Ericsson.
My last two months using it has been great. It does what I need and I never have to “think” about it. It does what I want and it “just works”. Of course, I don’t live in a bubble and I know Android 2.2 exists and what it offers but I have yet to feel like I’m missing out or I’m unable to use my phone. I think that’s a great sign this is a good product fit for me.
The lack of multi-touch may be an issue for some people but I don’t mind it at all. I didn’t have it before on my old phone so it’s not like I’m really missing out on any thing. Most of the applications I use don’t require it or have other workarounds that are equally effective. Will this change in the future? Maybe, but for what I need to do now, it’s a non-issue. Also, since the phone is unlocked and my plan is month-to-month, I have the freedom to move onto something else whenever I want.
I will be updating the review once future updates come out and will note what has changed. Until then feel free to comment or email me if you have future questions.
Great review Thanks for sharing with us
Thanks very much for the very informative review. Getting my new X10 tomorrow & can't wait to play.........
thank you so much for the great review, ok i have HTC Hero and i wanna change it now
would you recommend the Nexux one or the X10
desire and legend are out of the pic, my friends already bought them ^^
so i want something different.
thanx
Actually what SE giving us via X10 is kinda like
"This is what I've got, I know I am outdated I know I am lack of support, take it or leave it"
to me
oaz63 said:
thank you so much for the great review, ok i have HTC Hero and i wanna change it now
would you recommend the Nexux one or the X10
desire and legend are out of the pic, my friends already bought them ^^
so i want something different.
thanx
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Click to collapse
That's a tough call. It really depends on what you want and where your priorities lie. My coworker just got a Nexus One and it's a wonderful device with a beautiful deep contrast screen. She wanted to always have the most latest OS first and foremost and didn't want too large of a device (although the Evo 4G tempted her). She wasn't as concerned about the camera or video capabilities so it was the best fit for her.
I prefer the camera quality on my phone to the Nexus One and that was an important point for me since I'm often trying to bring less devices with me when I'm out and about. The Xperia X10 fulfills that need for me. Also, the multimedia capabilities are important to me and the X10 works really well. In fact, it plays video files that my friends EVO 4Gs can't play (we're still trying to figure out why). I ripped my Avatar DVD and converted it to H.264 MP4. Looks awesome on my device and this is with the Android 1.6 limitation!
So, I'd make a list of stuff you actually want to (and will) do with the phone and match that up with the device. If it's the same as your friend then so be it. You can always dress it up with a custom case and OS tweaks.
The screen is not very scratch resistant.
I removed the pre applied protector an have now got 2 scratches.
I have now installed a protector again.
Thanks for the review! You seem to have pretty much the same experience & impressions as me, and I'm sure there are plenty of others who feel the same. I'm not 100% happy with the lack of updates (and not having root), but at the same time I can't really complain about it either.
At the end of the day, if you want polish and a seamless user experience then you have to go for a heavily-controlled and censored platform (ie: iPhone), whereas the Android ecosystem does things differently (and thank whoever for that).
brodos123 said:
The screen is not very scratch resistant.
I removed the pre applied protector an have now got 2 scratches.
I have now installed a protector again.
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That's why it comes with a pre-applied protector, it should not be removed
AMAZING review. Really top notch.
You forgot to mention the
-POOR IN-EAR SPEAKER quality
-POOR IN-EAR SPEAKER VOLUME
My X1 is made of steel so it has min. scratches after 2 year hard using and a few "falling downs" to floors. My X10 felt only 1 time down to the floor and the plastic is broken Why they changed back to plastic???? Also my old SE phones was made from magnesium (GH337/868...)
-I miss a DPAD or something similar. To navigate is horrible, as the SE KB is useless (the Android KB even more) I use the HTC from Jonas. Without this the X10 is even more poor as it is at least because there is
-NO SMART DIALING. Because of that i dont use my X10 anymore ( need my phone for CALLING!) I bought a HTC instead. The smart Dialing is not good as it was on X1 but i can hardly live with that.
-TS and MS are actually useless. To complicated for fast use and TO SLOW! ( Why i can not set a standard view in TS? Why i cant set a default directory in MS for Photos, Videos and Music and browse within them? )
-X10 is even to slow at all. F.e to open a contact from the phonebook needs at least 1-2 sec.
In fact the only thing i love on X10 is the Hardware and software design. This is the only phone in the last 15 years (all from SE!!) that is disapointing me. I start to hate this phone, because it sucks me! Especially because to make it perfect would not be a problem if the SE engineers would count on 2 and start thinking about of USING a phone, not looking on it while it lays on the table. If they would do a NEW X1 everything would be perfect. I mean take all the things that X1 can do and make this better and add features, not delete them! Of course erverything could be fixed (instead of the steel body and DPAD) with an update but i think SE is to blind (and stupid) actually. Forget TS and MS, update the X10 to 2.2, add Smart Dialing WITH ARROW KEYS, an UI that is useable from the screen (like iphone), not with the hardware buttons (why a back button? Add a "cancel" tab EVERYWHERE would help a lot! At least in the contextmenues!) a KB like HTC WITH ARROW KEYS, a screen lock like S2U2, an easy and fast zooming, a perfect email client with a central email inbox, a perfect SMS client, make the phone fast, delete all the bugs AND THEN its MAYBE ready for dayly using.
oaz63 said:
would you recommend the Nexux one or the X10
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THE NEXUS ONE!!! Because there is a trackball and NO PUSHABLE KEYS! Google made a good job with the soft keys! EVERY Android phone should have them! because this makes the phone 100% easier to use. I am really thinking to switch from Legend to Wildfire because of that
AND what is also important: the Trackball/mouse is UNDER the 4 keys! this makes the phone handy. Take a N1 and a Desire in your hand and try to use the Trackball/mouse and the keys! You´ll know then what i mean....
Great review.I just got my x10 2 days back and I am really happy with it.I see a lot of people have complaints with it,but knew as much as I did some reading of this forum and the like.I am upgrading from my once beloved htc hero, a good phone with a good set of specs at the time.I spent sooooo long hearing about a 2.1 update on that phone that never arrived.So the talk of a q4 update in 2010 for my new x10 is not too big of a stretch.
Sorry bout the rambling
StripLV said:
(why a back button? Add a "cancel" tab EVERYWHERE would help a lot! At least in the contextmenues!)
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You apparently have never heard of the mobile phone operating system called "Android" made by the Google Corporation.
There is almost no info on this unit, but I ordered one anyway.
From what I can tell, Ownice introduced a budget unit not too long ago branded G10, which for some reason was re-branded K1 more recently.
Basically a slim HU (no CD/DVD) with slightly lower specs than the C500 (lower end processor and amplifier) and no built-in 4G data. Unlike the C500+ it has a TFT screen, and no instant on backup cam (that is what their rep told me).
On the plus side, it's cheaper, has a very clean look (especially on the ford-specific model) and they claim it's already running android 8.1 (on the 2gb version). At long last, plugging in an external mic automatically disables onboard mic. And if you get a 4G dongle you have added a decent hotspot to the car (kids want to watch netflix on their tablets). Presumably the external dongle will allow a better range of LTE bands (just buy one intended for your market).
For my part, I have a 2013 ford S-max with low end oem stereo, no reverse camera, no TPMS, no bluetooth. My goal was to get a unit that looked nicely integrated, worked reasonably well out of the box (canbus sorted, few bugs, decent UI), had good support for a tpms system, 4G, and general android HU functions. I really wanted to find a good deal on a c500+, but I wanted to spend less than $300 total for what seems to me is ultimately a crapshoot.
With the impetus of the 11/11 sales I ordered from their official aliexpress store.
For a 4G dongle I surmised that Ownice is selling a widely available Huawei e8372h-608 that you can get for half their price (about $34). Finally, I saw that DX has the Ownice TPMS system on sale. Last piece was a reverse cam that integrates into the car's license plate light. Total for the whole deal was 299. Now just need to wait for stuff to arrive from China.
I hope to update in a month or so when items arrive and I get to the installation phase.
(if anyone has tips on running the backup cam wiring through the s-max let me know)