Just a 2 cents review I wrote on the Tattoo - Click General

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This is the smallest Android phone and has the clever 1.6 version (2.1 will be released shortly).
Its small and lightweight, but still feels well built and a quality item, despite its price point.
Pity about the name, but as long as it doesn't encourage folk to screw up their skin
Android is all there, present and correct, together with HTC's awesome sense interface and twitter & facebook widgets.
The packaging is classy and the phone's setup shows just how far leading edge smartphones have come. It asks you for email address, google login, facebook login and some other options and sets it all up automatically.
I have a vodafone SIM and it set up the data connection in the background silently without asking me anything.
Date and time are also automatically used from your location.
The 320x240 screen is not best for prolonged browsing but is necessary in this size of phone to make the character sizes readable.
The advantage of this size screen is that the CPU is pushing less pixels, so its has a pretty fast response time, faster then the Hero IMHO.
The disadvantage is waiting for more android market apps to be available for 320x240, this will take a few months.
The big surprise is how responsive the screen is, given its resistive. Its certainly nice to use and comes with the accurancy of resistive screens, useful for drawing and other apps where accuracy is needed.
Another fairly unique feature is that you can order custom covers (even uploading your own pictures) to add a nice touch for personalisation (through tattoomyhtc). Whilst this is a fun idea (or gimmick!), the other benefit of easily removable covers is that if you scratch the phone you can just buy another cover. I really wish more manufacturers would do this.
The std 3.5" headphone socket is a nice touch, and customarily for HTC delivers good sound quality, particularly through my bose triports.
The speaker goes to a reasonable volume but its not super-clear. Usable but not perhaps to enjoy music through!
The camera has no auto-focus and is reasonable for high light situations only.
I understand that bar-code software has trouble with cameras without auto-focus, hopefully this is being worked on as I love these applications.
I never use mobile phone cameras (how could I with a Nikon D700 ), so will leave it to someone else to test this out.
Lastly, newbies to android should remember the long horizontal swipes on the home screen to reveal multiple virtual home screens.
In summary, this is a classy power phone for those that want music, apps and ease of use, but not interested in using it for ebooks or browsing much (although the browser is android, and therefore second in quality only to the iphone).
I would pick it over its brother, the HTC Touch 2, anyday (but also wait with bated breath to see what WM 7 will bring).
Strongly recommended for those that want a small phone, but would like the power of a decent OS and can't bear Nokia S40 or all the other propriety junk OSes that tend to populate smaller devices.

Thanks for a nice review ..
I have the pleasure to be a owner of the tattoo and i can only say it rox!!!

I agree!!! the Tattoo is great at the price and has a very classy build....even the headphones provided with it did a decent job and were better than any HTC provided headphones I have used before....
Android Rocks!!

neat 2 cents.. Thx

Well said. I have a Nokia E71. While it runs S60 UI, it's a pain at times, randomly crashing or freezing (and having to do a battery pull).
I'm getting a HTC Tattoo from the UK, so yeah. I like your review though.

Nice Review!
I've had my Tattoo for a week on Vodafone and am very impressed with it.
Considered the Hero (very nice) and iPhone (way too expensive!) but settled on the Tattoo after trying it side by side with a Magic in the Vodafone shop. Hardly noticed a difference in screen response to be honest.
I'm not a power user - some browsing and very little social apps and only really wanted a nice phone with some customisation facilities and the Tattoo fits me perfectly.
Sure there will be better phones out shortly at this price point but that's always the case with mobiles and having taken the plunge with Android I'm a convert.

Related

My iPhone experience

I am the proud owner of a HTC touch HD phone, and a very happy owner too. I got it just before Christmas, and it is currently running on Duttys rom, 2.6. All in all my best phone so far.
As many, I have always looked upon the iPhone as one of the absolute best phones ever made, in my opinion it more or less revolutionized how we look upon a phone’s capabilities. However, since I have never had an iPhone, I found it hard to argument for or against it. Therefore I have bought one (used), which will arrive by mail within the next few days. When I get it, I will use it for a month and keep posting here how it goes and how it performs compared to the touch HD. Why do I do this? Because I’m curious, and because I want to see what all the hype is about, and most of all, i hate the fact that everyone is *****ing about which product is the best, but only a few has actually had and used the two phones for a longer period of time.
So far I bought the phone (iPhone 3g), and I am waiting for it to arrive. I must say the wait is long I have downloaded iTunes, so all I’m waiting for right now, is the phone itself.
Besides the normal things you do with a phone (calling, sms), I daily use my touch HD for web browsing, email correspondence and video and music. All of which performs perfectly (thank you coreplayer ). So this is what I plan to use the iPhone for, since touch HD is a windows mobile phone, I rely upon activesync to take care of my outlook contacts and calendar notes, we’ll see how well iTunes does this.
I also like the fact that it is so easy to get what you want with windows mobile, mostly through you guys here at xda.
When the phone arrives I’ll post my first experiences.
Update: 15-4-2009
It'll arrive tomorrow. Thanks for all the replys
Update 17-4-2009
First impressions
So i’ve used the phone for all in all 5-6 hours so far, so I can only tell you about my first impressions. I had some problems getting my music from my pc to the phone, it turned out that you have to enable music synchronization in itunes, in order to get anything transferred to the phone. First thing I did was to transfer my music through explorer (drag and drop), more or less the exact same way as with touch hd, this isn’t allowed, so I had to go through itunes, convert all my music, find out how to get it from itunes to the phone, before I could listen to music. In all in all much more difficult than I had believed, but now I know how it works, so hopefully this won’t be an issue in the future. I can see the problem for those who has many more songs than I had on my laptop, it’s takes a long time to convert to the itunes format, so this would be a major drawback. Why can’t I just put my mp3’s directly on the phone?
This being said, I really like the flow on the phone, the framerate compared to touch hd, is better, giving a better feel. However, I’ve been a bit annoyed by the sensitivity of the screen; it probably takes some getting used to.
Finally, when I used the phone this morning in my way to work, I had some issues with the 3G connection. My touch hd has no problems what so ever when I am using to surf and check mails and so on, the iphone used 3G for 3 minutes, and then I found myself browsing using edge, which is in my opinion is not an option. This is something that will be an annoyance if it keeps up (I’m hoping it was a onetime only).
As for the browsing itself, iphone surpasses the touch hd. Opera is simply to slow compared to safari, but if I can’t get a proper connection, there really is no choice.
One thing that really impressed though was the app store. All though you have to put in your credit card information in order to create an account, it is really easy to browse through all the apps, find what you like and install it. And there really are many different and funny apps, which all in all lifts the overall user value.
I’ll return in next week with more views. Thanks for all the responses
04-05-2009
The first many days.
Hey, sorry for the delay. Been busy at work, but finally found some time to write some more. I have had and used the phone for quite some time by now, it performs as expected. All though I begin to see the small bugs, which most people forget to mention when recommending the iphone. I read somewhere that the iPhone simply “just works”. That is not entirely true, yes I have never had a smartphone that performs as well as the iPhone, it has the least amounts of crashes and so on. However, to say that it simply works, is wrong. When I browse the web, safari hangs on every load, so you have to wait for the entire page to load until you start navigating. Furthermore the video player used in safari has a tendency to hang a lot when you are viewing a longer video, and especially if wifi is turned on. But still, the browser is the best mobile browser so far. Opera hangs/stalls/dies a lot too, and of the two browsers, I prefer safari. There’s still a long way to go until web browsing on the mobile is perfect.
The phone itself has rebooted three times, one time in a game and the two other times it just stalled and went black. Odd… Again if I compare to touch hd, it is more or less the same. My touch hd also died a lot of times, and the one thing that annoyed me most on a windows mobile device, is the fact that the memory isn’t flushed correctly. To many times you have to do a hard reboot, in order to get the memory cleared and to get good performance again.
I mentioned the connection problems earlier, or the lack of connection… Well it hasn’t improved, when you are traveling, the phone looses connection so many times it’s a major problem. Sometimes safari stops working when the connection is lost. Damn, that annoys me… So why don’t you just use wifi? Because with wifi turned on, the battery is used up in no time at all. This brings me to the next issue: The battery. I have to charge the phone one time every day, even with wifi turned off. “Then you use the phone a lot” you might say, and the answer would be: “yes I do, but that’s what the iphone is all about…”. If you don’t use the iphone for all the things that are so nice on the phone, why use it at all. I listen to music, surf the web, check emails, and play games on it daily. And this results in a charge a day. So all in all, the battery performance is poor. Furthermore if you are playing a game, and receive a phonecall, the game is shut down, without save, stupid…
This brings me to the app store, this is the one thing that makes me praise the iPhone. Yes we have the same on windows mobile, but not so approachable and comprehensive. Installing a game or a program could be much much easier on winmo. There is only one big flaw in the app store, if you are connected through 3G, there is a max on 10 mb per download. So if you find a game that’s larger than 10 mb, you have to wait to download it. Why??? 10 mb on 3g shouldn’t be a problem… By the way, you gotta love the facebook app… All though you can’t connect a contact to its facebook profile, it’s still a nice app
The GPS is not entirely accurate, but still usable. I won’t say that much about the gps since I don’t use it allot. And google maps is more or less the same as on touch hd.
The last thing: I saw many movies on touch HD. I have ripped many of my dvd’s and converted them to divx. On touch hd you just transfer the movie to the phone and you can see it. On iphone I have to convert it to some stupid format in order to see it. I hate having movies in so many different formats, and hate to rely upon itunes.
I’ll write a new post in the near future, and as for the guy who commented on my description on to much sensitivity: Sorry, but that’s just my experience of the phone 
Samoht2003 said:
I am the proud owner of a HTC touch HD phone, and a very happy owner too. I got it just before Christmas, and it is currently running on Duttys rom, 2.6. All in all my best phone so far.
As many, I have always looked upon the iPhone as one of the absolute best phones ever made, in my opinion it more or less revolutionized how we look upon a phone’s capabilities. However, since I have never had an iPhone, I found it hard to argument for or against it. Therefore I have bought one (used), which will arrive by mail within the next few days. When I get it, I will use it for a month and keep posting here how it goes and how it performs compared to the touch HD. Why do I do this? Because I’m curious, and because I want to see what all the hype is about, and most of all, i hate the fact that everyone is *****ing about which product is the best, but only a few has actually had and used the two phones for a longer period of time.
So far I bought the phone (iPhone 3g), and I am waiting for it to arrive. I must say the wait is long I have downloaded iTunes, so all I’m waiting for right now, is the phone itself.
Besides the normal things you do with a phone (calling, sms), I daily use my touch HD for web browsing, email correspondence and video and music. All of which performs perfectly (thank you coreplayer ). So this is what I plan to use the iPhone for, since touch HD is a windows mobile phone, I rely upon activesync to take care of my outlook contacts and calendar notes, we’ll see how well iTunes does this.
I also like the fact that it is so easy to get what you want with windows mobile, mostly through you guys here at xda.
When the phone arrives I’ll post my first experiences.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking forward to hear your experinces
Yep look forward to it!
Not sure it was revolutionary... the LG Prada was a full touch screen phone before the iPhone.. Apple just packaged it well... Steve jobs could box a turd and sell it. pretty much like Apples claim on the mouse! That was actually Xerox's baby!
Looking forward to your experience and an honest review / comparison between the 2!
I actually have both (HTC Touch HD and iPhone 3g), too
Yeah, waiting to see your comments...
We are talking about Apples & Oranges here!!! Arent we?
the real great things on the iphone are aps! they are realy cool, good looking, running smooth... but only one at a time with a verry bad cam and no mms... (yet )
if it had a better cam, MMS (soon) eand a real GPS (and GPS software) i would defintly forget my HD!
way to go pal, will be glad to read your reviews.
bouyaka said:
the real great things on the iphone are aps! they are realy cool, good looking, running smooth... but only one at a time with a verry bad cam and no mms... (yet )
if it had a better cam, MMS (soon) eand a real GPS (and GPS software) i would defintly forget my HD!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh my.
Jesus phone has a lot of shortcomings, but MMS? Who cares? It's the silliest thing since plastic toothpick. Why do you want to pay your operator for this surrogate email?
And do you really consider HD's camera usable?
daraj said:
We are talking about Apples & Oranges here!!! Arent we?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really.... I'll explain...
I've just sold my iPhone 3G and bought a HD. My reasons were...
1) I get bored and I had the iPhone since last July and fancied a change
2) I wanted expandable memory
3) I think the iPhone is looking dated now. Controversial I'm sure...
4) I now want stereo Bluetooth streaming for a new iO Play car kit I have had fitted
I used to change phones far too often and had 13 in a year once, but the iPhone is the longest serving handset I've had for a while. Despite not being bleeding edge when it comes to the specification, the way you interact with it, the simplicity, the fluidity and the Apple ecosystem all added up to make it a revolutionary phone. There is a reason why every new touch-screen phone is an iPhone killer.
The email client is superb, web browsing superb and media playback superb. And the text inputs auto-correction is very intelligent and doesn't just look out for spelling mistakes, but patterns in typing which it relates to possible words.
The App store is great, but getting full of rubbish making the genuinely useful stuff harder to find. Rumours are there will be a premier store soon. The O2 contracts are great, as the free data and free WiFi access are superbly implemented, switching between seamlessly. And once you've authenticated with the free WiFi once that's all you ever have to do. I could walk into a Starbucks, McDonalds, Costa, Hotel, Airport etc etc and it would connect to the WiFi before I even realised I was in a hotspot.
But it's not the Jesus phone everyone seems to think. And I hate, really, really hate the fan-boy love affair some people have with it... to the point I was embarrassed by it sometimes.
"No, I don't want to talk to you about your iPhone, stranger...."
The limitations in the iPhone are 75% software based, most of which will be corrected in version 3 of the software. Things like additional Bluetooth profiles, landscape text input in all apps, MMS, tethering etc will be welcome additions.
And that's one of the things that bothered me. These are simple things that really should be included as standard.
Things like the poor camera didn't bother me. I mean, Sony Ericsson have been putting rubbish cameras in phones they didn't market as imaging devices for years. If the camera is the main focus, there are much better options (like buying a camera).
The lack of expandable memory is a big deal for a multimedia phone though. I can understand the marketing / product reasons behind it, but even that seems to contradict the 'one device to do everything' approach Apple take with this.
Now to go back to my original point, Apples Vs Oranges, the HD and the iPhone aren't that different. Both have huge strengths, both have huge weaknesses, both have massive amounts in common. The thing that differs between them is down to the person buying it. What do you want from a phone....?
Out of the box usability and slickness? iPhone.
Endless tinkering, customisation and free reign of what you do with your phone? Touch HD
But both have the capability of matching the other in every single aspect. There is pretty much nothing that you can do with one that you can't with the other. Exactly the same can be said for Windows PC operating systems Vs Apple Mac OS X. Funnily enough, most of what I have said above can be applied in some way to that argument too.
So, the other downsides to the iPhone.... (some of this is entirely personal opinion).
Text input needs work in it's current form. The keys are just too small. This is made up by the excellent auto-correction, but it's still poor. And you can't add in new keyboards without jailbreaking, which brings me to..
Restrictive approach to third party applications. Apples closed-door approach has no benefits. I originally thought it would be good as it would ensure reliability and stability, but there are some terribly shaky applications in the App Store. I see no benefit in this for consumers and the only way around involves invalidating your warranty.
Hardware restrictions - No expandable memory, as above. Screen size Vs chassis size and screen resolution are falling behind the competition. Poor build quality is another factor that's not uncommon either.
If you are the kind of person who enjoys Windows Mobile, I predict you will get frustrated with the iPhones shortfalls and will be jailbreaking it within a day.
Robster83 said:
Not really.... I'll explain...
I've just sold my iPhone 3G and bought a HD. My reasons were...
1) I get bored and I had the iPhone since last July and fancied a change
2) I wanted expandable memory
3) I think the iPhone is looking dated now. Controversial I'm sure...
4) I now want stereo Bluetooth streaming for a new iO Play car kit I have had fitted
I used to change phones far too often and had 13 in a year once, but the iPhone is the longest serving handset I've had for a while. Despite not being bleeding edge when it comes to the specification, the way you interact with it, the simplicity, the fluidity and the Apple ecosystem all added up to make it a revolutionary phone. There is a reason why every new touch-screen phone is an iPhone killer.
The email client is superb, web browsing superb and media playback superb. And the text inputs auto-correction is very intelligent and doesn't just look out for spelling mistakes, but patterns in typing which it relates to possible words.
The App store is great, but getting full of rubbish making the genuinely useful stuff harder to find. Rumours are there will be a premier store soon. The O2 contracts are great, as the free data and free WiFi access are superbly implemented, switching between seamlessly. And once you've authenticated with the free WiFi once that's all you ever have to do. I could walk into a Starbucks, McDonalds, Costa, Hotel, Airport etc etc and it would connect to the WiFi before I even realised I was in a hotspot.
But it's not the Jesus phone everyone seems to think. And I hate, really, really hate the fan-boy love affair some people have with it... to the point I was embarrassed by it sometimes.
"No, I don't want to talk to you about your iPhone, stranger...."
The limitations in the iPhone are 75% software based, most of which will be corrected in version 3 of the software. Things like additional Bluetooth profiles, landscape text input in all apps, MMS, tethering etc will be welcome additions.
And that's one of the things that bothered me. These are simple things that really should be included as standard.
Things like the poor camera didn't bother me. I mean, Sony Ericsson have been putting rubbish cameras in phones they didn't market as imaging devices for years. If the camera is the main focus, there are much better options (like buying a camera).
The lack of expandable memory is a big deal for a multimedia phone though. I can understand the marketing / product reasons behind it, but even that seems to contradict the 'one device to do everything' approach Apple take with this.
Now to go back to my original point, Apples Vs Oranges, the HD and the iPhone aren't that different. Both have huge strengths, both have huge weaknesses, both have massive amounts in common. The thing that differs between them is down to the person buying it. What do you want from a phone....?
Out of the box usability and slickness? iPhone.
Endless tinkering, customisation and free reign of what you do with your phone? Touch HD
But both have the capability of matching the other in every single aspect. There is pretty much nothing that you can do with one that you can't with the other. Exactly the same can be said for Windows PC operating systems Vs Apple Mac OS X. Funnily enough, most of what I have said above can be applied in some way to that argument too.
So, the other downsides to the iPhone.... (some of this is entirely personal opinion).
Text input needs work in it's current form. The keys are just too small. This is made up by the excellent auto-correction, but it's still poor. And you can't add in new keyboards without jailbreaking, which brings me to..
Restrictive approach to third party applications. Apples closed-door approach has no benefits. I originally thought it would be good as it would ensure reliability and stability, but there are some terribly shaky applications in the App Store. I see no benefit in this for consumers and the only way around involves invalidating your warranty.
Hardware restrictions - No expandable memory, as above. Screen size Vs chassis size and screen resolution are falling behind the competition. Poor build quality is another factor that's not uncommon either.
If you are the kind of person who enjoys Windows Mobile, I predict you will get frustrated with the iPhones shortfalls and will be jailbreaking it within a day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I meant by that is the fact the HD is highly customizable to the bones, heck you can even run an Android OS on it. Iphone is a very closed OS with very little tweaks allowed by Apple ( Not talking about Jailbreaking) From the usability to the screen to the memory to the GPS vs A-GPS.. from the camera to almost everything in both phones are different. I consider the Iphone a weekend phone While the HD is a very business oriented phone that gets the job done and good.
Not sure If I can really say they are very similar. Just my 2 cents
daraj said:
What I meant by that is the fact the HD is highly customizable to the bones, heck you can even run an Android OS on it. Iphone is a very closed OS with very little tweaks allowed by Apple ( Not talking about Jailbreaking) From the usability to the screen to the memory to the GPS vs A-GPS.. from the camera to almost everything in both phones are different. I consider the Iphone a weekend phone While the HD is a very business oriented phone that gets the job done and good.
Not sure If I can really say they are very similar. Just my 2 cents
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's fair enough. But when you sit the two side-by-side and ask them to do the same task, there isn't much difference. If you think about what you do with your phone, I'd bet the HD does things in a very similar way to the iPhone. There are only so many ways to construct a text message, make a call or browse the internet on a touch screen mobile
The one big thing I didn't mention that you have just reminded me of, is the touch screen. The capacitive screen on the iPhone is much more responsive in use.
Robster83 said:
That's fair enough. But when you sit the two side-by-side and ask them to do the same task, there isn't much difference. If you think about what you do with your phone, I'd bet the HD does things in a very similar way to the iPhone. There are only so many ways to construct a text message, make a call or browse the internet on a touch screen mobile
The one big thing I didn't mention that you have just reminded me of, is the touch screen. The capacitive screen on the iPhone is much more responsive in use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. WVGA on HD and VGA on Iphone ( Not sure if its even VGA)
pretty much it boils down to what you do with it. I have both devices. I use the HD and the iphone sits on the desk. I am an admin at my company and we are windows based the windows mobile device it the best phone for us. While I like the Iphone it is not praticle for me to use. I hav not found any thing that I do on the iphone that I gave not been able to find an app that works on the hd doing the same or better. I really like being able to change the rom on my phone and customise it. Can't really do that with the iphone. And I think the display on the HD is much better.
daraj said:
Yup. WVGA on HD and VGA on Iphone ( Not sure if its even VGA)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Capacitive Vs Resistive is a bigger aspect than the resolution which, I agree, the iPhone falls short of. It is HVGA (320x480).
You have to be crazy to think that the iphone hasnt changed the mobile industry. It is an amazingly capable, intuitive and beautiful device to boot compared to these piece of lard htc OS's (the stock ones).
I owned about 15 HTC/Winmo devices starting with the SPV c500 and culminating in the Diamond as soon as it came out and got an iphone 3g at around the same time. None of the roms could come close to the intrinsic slickness, speed and support for the iphone, I jailbroke it, and was blown away and it became my primary device. However the iphone is currently mediacentric and not a buisness/professional phone and I needed an OQO UMPC to carry around as well but it doesnt claim to be anything else in fairness.
I have been quite impressed by the cooked Win 6.5 roms and skyfire recently though, and I am going to buy the HTC Touch Pro2 when it comes out as I need to use programs like word with a built in keyboard and tv out facility and perhaps retire my UMPC/laptops. This forum is also a great feature in choosing a HTC phone for customisation.
And for people who say the iphone doesnt have microsd, poor camera etc... How many crippled HTC devices have we seen? The iphone has been in a class of its own untill recent catch up devices.
imperiallight said:
And for people who say the iphone doesnt have microsd, poor camera etc... How many crippled HTC devices have we seen? The iphone has been in a class of its own untill recent catch up devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Expandability is (in my opinion) essential for any electronic devices. I have an 8GB card in my HD now, and I plan on upgrading to a 32GB soon by simply inserting a memory card. iPhone...can't do that. You have to buy a new phone to do so. I also have a spare battery which I can swap out when I am on the road and can't charge my phone...like camping perhaps. Iphone...can't. I like to copy and paste text from one program to another (multitasking). iPhone...can't. The HD 5MP camera takes great pictures which can be geo tagged with great accuracy. iPhone (until v2.0 comes out)...can't. Sure, there are some HD's out there that are crippled or bricked. Why? Because people that have the mental capacity to appreciate a multitasking device/computer actually like to open the hood and tweak it. Sure, iPhone apps may seem to run smoother. But that's because of the lack of multitasking! My HD (or any other Windows Mobile device) runs processes and applications in the background so you can do more and be more productive.
Honestly, do a side by side comparison of the HD and the iPhone. And I am not talking software, I mean hardware. We can debate applications all day, but it's the hardware that defines the capabilities. If you want a list of HD hardware features then I will post them for you.
*double post*
DerrickD2,
You have misunderstood the thrust of my post, that the iphone was/is a trailblazing and revolutionary device in the mobile sector. It seems anywhere bar this 'nerdy spec-hugging' forum that its not too hard to accept. The Touch HD is a better device in my opinion too as like I already stated, other companies have played catch up. There is no need to tell me its hardware specs.
But to pick up on a few points:
* Upgradeable SD is important, it annoys me to only have 16gb but I can stream content off free iphone optimised filestores available, some providing 10gb a go. Not ideal but workable.
* Spare battery, well the iphones battery is pretty decent and lasts for many years. If you want to keep the battery charged you can do it on the fly by adding these 'double your battery' packs and their ilk/cases when you are running low and you dont even 'have to swap the battery':
http://us.kensington.com/html/15462.html
* You can cut and paste text in jailbroken phones within the app. You can mulitask too, to an extent on JB phones although I dont know if it's sytemwide cut and paste (prob. not)
* Megapixels aren't everything on a camera. Its about the lens too. The 2MP camera of the iphone image quality is known to be quite decent, better than most 3.2MP HTC offerings but I agree it should have a better camera.
* Like I said the iphone isn't productivity centred and its probably why they dont consider multitasking a crucial feature but from what I understand its processor is faster than any HTC phone. Jailbroken iphones can run background apps too but obviously native apps dont support this.
We can debate applications all day, but it's the hardware that defines the capabilities.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is so contentious! Hardware can define the capabilites and software/OS/User experience can define the capabilties! It depends on what the consumer needs. Horses for course's!

HTC Diamond2 or HTC Magic(Google2)? Help me choose, please.

I have waited faithfully for a long time for Android, but now I have fallen in love with Diamond2...
I am a student, and will mostly need the phone for entertainment purposes. For my use, (mostly internet, skype, taking the occational picture, watching .avi's, mp3, old school games like nes or scummvm), which one would you pick? It's important for me the the phone is fast and responsive, and that it can edit .doc files (word, openoffice, something like that). I also would love for it to have a file-organizer (something like norton commander would have been excellent), ability to run and install files from the phone directly, and the ability to download with it (torrents, etc) and if possible, stream online content. So basically a mini-computer. Which phone do you think is best for me? I do not care about calender, email (e.i outlook) integration, or anything that has to do with planing and\or actual work, in other words
Also:
Do you belive android will get ported to the diamond 2 in the forseeable future?
So to sum up, Should I just go for the Diamond 2 or wait a month or two for the Magic (thats the earliest it will be released here in norway)?
im not an expert at this (ive had no luck with my herald), but if you check around, there are diamond android ports.
most likely, they will be on the diamond2 if they r on the 1st one.
winmo - buisiness/planning/work
android - consumor, but can do buisiness and work
(i can say this because, like i said, i had a herald, and i have the dream)
ur choice buddy ;]
just want to add my opinion. I have had 4 WinMo phones in the past, currently have the Blackstone, which im trying to get rid of. Anyways, I am a "medical" student, who really doesn't use all the features that can be found on a WinMo phone. I have played with a friends G1 and was honestly amazed at how much it just "fit" with me. I know I will probably be bashed for saying this, but phones like the android (G1) and the Iphone are really what I am interested in now. They are simplistic to use, but still can outperform your normal plain old phones. For me, if the G2 Magic doesn't wow me when it hits the U.S. shores in a couple of weeks, than I will probably purchase an Unlocked Iphone. Now, you have to base your decision on what you will use the phone for, especially if you are a student. This is my opinion, but if you are really into business type stuff where you would need all the necessities of a PC than go with the Diamond. If you want a cool, visually appealing phone that isn't as powerful as the Diamond but still gets the job done! than go with the G2.
I agree with redrazr's post above, but I would also like to add that for me a big part of going Android was to be part of something huge, right from the start. I mean, the first Android phone (the G1) has been out less than eight months and Android is already this good? That's pretty damn amazing. WinMo fanboys won't like this, but give Android eight months more and it will blow WinMo out of the water in every single aspect.
And no, WinMo 6.5 (and not even WinMo 7) will not revolutionize WinMo since they're still based on the same old crappy, sluggish platform/core. My understanding is that WinMo 8 will be the first WinMo based on a completely new and/or revamped core, and won't be out until 2013 or so.
mannyb said:
I agree with redrazr's post above, but I would also like to add that for me a big part of going Android was to be part of something huge, right from the start. I mean, the first Android phone (the G1) has been out less than eight months and Android is already this good? That's pretty damn amazing. WinMo fanboys won't like this, but give Android eight months more and it will blow WinMo out of the water in every single aspect.
And no, WinMo 6.5 (and not even WinMo 7) will not revolutionize WinMo since they're still based on the same old crappy, sluggish platform/core. My understanding is that WinMo 8 will be the first WinMo based on a completely new and/or revamped core, and won't be out until 2013 or so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He he, I have a D2 and I will not flame you for supporting Android (but then I am not a microsoft fanboy at all, I am typing from ubuntu right now ).
The problem with the smartphones imho is that they still are differentiated using their OS, sometimes even from the carrier customization. Their are more carier network toy than than their are your own toy, while they should be judged on their design, hardware specs and support only imho. Like a PC, where you can install any OS and applications you want, and are even expected to do so.
Thanks to xda-devellopers, HTC phones are closer to what every smartphone should be: an handheld computer with a large array of network connectivity options on which the user (you, that have paid for a device that is now your own, damnit ) can install the OS of his choice.
All that to say that Android should be installable on the TD2, and likely will be installable quite soon. Which is only the absolute minimum to be expected for an open-source OS for which google took A LOT from the opensource community to develop. Android should be installable on any device that has compatible hardware to run it, no excuses (HTC is at fault here, it should halp xda-develloper in the porting effort if not offering multiboot himself from the start, especially as all it's top-of-the-line smartphones are so close to each other hardware-wise).
So once the playfield is levelled and Android is installable on the TD2 (as it is on the HD, even if it is work in progress), I think that the TD2 and Magic should be compared from hardware and design alone. That's why I have chosen the TD2 (I like its design more, and a higher resolution screen is a big plus for me, I read a lot on my smartphone). But for other people the Magic could be better (digital compass, larger battery, more physical inputs like the trackball and additional buttons are its advantages imho)
gkai said:
So once the playfield is levelled and Android is installable on the TD2 (as it is on the HD, even if it is work in progress), I think that the TD2 and Magic should be compared from hardware and design alone. That's why I have chosen the TD2 (I like its design more, and a higher resolution screen is a big plus for me, I read a lot on my smartphone). But for other people the Magic could be better (digital compass, larger battery, more physical inputs like the trackball and additional buttons are its advantages imho)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could not agree more. I'd pick Android over WinMo any day of the week, but let's be honest; WinMo phones have the best hardware. The few Android phones on the market definitely can't hang in that aspect. The only thing I can't stand about WinMo hardware is the resistive touchscreen they're stuck with. WinMo does not support capacitive screens as far as I know.
im going with the magic
i dont really like the look of the diamond 2 and the magics screen is bigger..and plus its going to have a 5mp camera for the US version ..i miss android..i went from the G1 to the Touch HD to the iPhone...touch hd was the worst expierence..windows mobile was dreadful for me...iphone..i dont feel as free with it but the variety of apps is quiet appealing to me especially after you jailbreak it..and android..lacked alot in the beginning but it was awsome i just hated the fact that i have to open the damn keyboard for every little thing i needed to type and i didnt want to wait for cupcake..but magic here i come
So in the last 15 or so months I have had 8 PDA's... 6 of them were WinMo, & Honestly I love WinMo for its versatility & The touchFlo interface is freeking awesome.. But.. I am using a g1 now & The only phone I am looking at other than it is the MyTouch (magic) the day T-Mo releases it (if not sooner).. The android OS has shown me to be much much more intelligently designed & Has yet to have any major issues (I have only had to soft reset the phone 2 or 3 times in the last 2 months).. The App Store is also a huge factor as well.. With free apps that actually work & improve the value of the device.. My last phone before this was a Touch Diamond (unlocked GSM) & I loved it for that beautiful High Res screen & The fact that movies on it were Absolutely Amazing.. Not to mention the small form factor.. But on the other Hand using the Cinema App downloaded for free from the android app store My movie playback looks almost as good (ie 1080i vs 1080p ish) & on a bigger screen.. Also Much less herky jerky to start & stop...
I am super excited for the Magic to come out, but if I had my choice I Would have kept my Diamond & Used Android on it & Somehoe managed to make a MicroSDHC work on it.. That would be my absolute perfect phone.. The Diamond 2 on the other hand I Think only had 1 thing over the diamond & thats the MicroSDHC slot as the increased screen size isnt in my opinion enough to be worth the increased mass.. Its like an inbetween size from the original diamond & an HD & I Dont think thats a necessarry spot to fill..
My 1 And only complaint with the G1 is the bulk & The Magic will obviously resolve that & only a Pocket test will be able to tell if it feels as small & easy to cary/use as the Diamond was..
The port for the diamond 2 will never be complete and always behind the current release of Android.
While the Diamond 2 has a higher resolution screen than the Magic the Magic is capacitive and performs much better in direct sunlight. Android will never run as well on the Diamond 2 as the magic.
macsbac said:
The port for the diamond 2 will never be complete and always behind the current release of Android.
While the Diamond 2 has a higher resolution screen than the Magic the Magic is capacitive and performs much better in direct sunlight. Android will never run as well on the Diamond 2 as the magic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Capacitive vs resistive is not so simple an issue: After testing the iTouch, I was all for capacitive, partly because it is more responsive to fingers, but even more because it offer a hard glass screen, much harder and durable than soft plastic resistive screen...
However, after testing the TD2 resistive screen, I must say that reactivity is almost as good as capacitive (not as good, but it is ok for me).
Durability could still be an issue, but the screen seems harder than my previous PDA, and with screen protection + flip case this is not an issue anymore.
BUT with resistive screen I have the possibility to use the stylus, which is very nice for accurate pointing (not relly needed for android, but very usefull for WM) and freehand drawing/ handwriting recognition. this may look like a gadget, but given the number of time I use my PDA as a notepad for quick drawing (abroad, when you do not speak the local language, a picture is worth a dozen words, and a thousand innacurate gesticulations ;-) ).
Capacitive do not allow the use of a stylus (except of the fat-and-soft tip variety, which I consider as completely useless, because it offer no real accuracy improvement), and, for me, this is a significant drawback. If a capacite technology evolve to allow for a pen-like stylus with pinpoint accuracy, then it would definitely burry resistive technology. Not before, especially for asian countries where the ability to draw characters is really useful.
For the direct sunlight, I agree: TD2 is not good under direct sunlight. Barely readable with high contrast large font text, but nothing more. Older PDA were better for this, and I believe you that Magic may be better too. I would be surprised if it was great, though, besides e-ink or passive LCD (reflective technologies), no screen has ever been great under direct sunlight ;-)
And for Android not running as well on the TD2 than on the Magic, yes, but the difference should be minimal: the hardware is almost the same, and Android is opensource, so the porting, once the bootloader/HARDSpl is done, should be quite straightforward...
I have owned winmo phones, played with an icrap, and now own a g1, and I will say I'd never ever go back. Android is always improving and will never stop improving. We have a few great developers that are always making this o.s. better. If you are looking for a phone for hardware, wait till one come out with Android. Otherwise get a magic. From what it seems like from your post, you'd be happier with android and the "wow" factor.

Leo - To buy or not to buy - what you guys think?

OK - so aside from bias/ability to afford/shipping/tax/price or other logistical factor - can we have a show of hands as to who has already bought a HD2 and has something to say - particularly what about the device makes you happy, what makes you sad?
Let's try keep it away from supplier/delivery issues or local network/band/signal issues - just pure usability/hardware/software.
Personally after trying one out in a store last week I finally received the experience I feel you want when moving to a PDA from a smart phone. What does our community think after using it for a while?
noofny said:
OK - so aside from bias/ability to afford/shipping/tax/price or other logistical factor - can we have a show of hands as to who has already bought a HD2 and has something to say - particularly what about the device makes you happy, what makes you sad?
Let's try keep it away from supplier/delivery issues or local network/band/signal issues - just pure usability/hardware/software.
Personally after trying one out in a store last week I finally received the experience I feel you want when moving to a PDA from a smart phone. What does our community think after using it for a while?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
too subjective a question....for every person on here that says get it, there will be one that says don't get it.
the final decision must be yours....nobody here can make your decision for you. Make a list of the important things for you in a phone, then find the phone that matches those needs the best.
for example, I think the iphone has a much nicer interface, more apps, better screen (touch interface, not size or clarity), but for me it just doesn't handle business functions very well and that made me choose the HD2 since this was my primary need.
if you do the same process you might find the ideal phone for you
I got mine on Sunday just gone, was an upgrade from a Diamond. I loved my diamond, but as soon as I had setup my HD2 with contacts and apps etc I was loving this even more. Each time I use it I find something new, like facebook linking, then seeing in a contact card all communications with that person.
I'm yet to use the footprints, but look forward to trying it out.
The main thing for me was the screen size, I always had problems with the tiny diamond screen, but this is so crisp, easier to use and much easier to keyboard with.
Also the damn speed of the device is amazing, so fast, the OS loads so quick. I soft resetted it and put it down to expect a few minutes wait like on the diamond, but was rebooted so quick!
The one thing I would love to see is a facebook tab, like the twitter tab, shame they didn't implement that!
The specs that come with this phone are truely awesome, and that was the overall selling point for me, as I knew how good HTC phones were I just had to have something with the specs that this phone comes with.
twisted-pixel - good point about the subjectiveness. I suppose what I'm fishing for here are peoples post-usage horror/love stories - moreso with regard to hardware and usability. It's a nice big screen but it's also a nice big slab of tech - how do you find the size, whats the battery life like, do you notice anything bad about the capacitive screen, how often (if ever) do you feel the need for a stylus and say 'doh', does the headphone port become dodgy after use - or the micro usb port? I suppose because of this community we all have flexibility and solutions around software, so I meant to make this more hardware related I guess.
noofny said:
twisted-pixel - good point about the subjectiveness. I suppose what I'm fishing for here are peoples post-usage horror/love stories - moreso with regard to hardware and usability. It's a nice big screen but it's also a nice big slab of tech - how do you find the size, whats the battery life like, do you notice anything bad about the capacitive screen, how often (if ever) do you feel the need for a stylus and say 'doh', does the headphone port become dodgy after use - or the micro usb port? I suppose because of this community we all have flexibility and solutions around software, so I meant to make this more hardware related I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I admit to loving the phone...with one exception...the sensitivity of the screen is a complete disaster for me. it's very difficult to type on, someones it responds to the slightest touch, other times it doesn't. accuracy is also an issue (that was to be expected on a screen with high resolution I suppose)
and yes, I've tried all the tweaks going before anyone suggests it (currently running v3.3 of the tweak with sensitivity on)
I think if I had come straight from my HD then I would have been impressed, but I come from an iphone where the screen was a delight to use.
however, the rest of the phone makes up for that small failing.
noofny said:
twisted-pixel - good point about the subjectiveness. I suppose what I'm fishing for here are peoples post-usage horror/love stories - moreso with regard to hardware and usability. It's a nice big screen but it's also a nice big slab of tech - how do you find the size, whats the battery life like, do you notice anything bad about the capacitive screen, how often (if ever) do you feel the need for a stylus and say 'doh', does the headphone port become dodgy after use - or the micro usb port? I suppose because of this community we all have flexibility and solutions around software, so I meant to make this more hardware related I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, you will find more people venting than praising any device on this forum, as people only seek help when they have problems.
I must admit, I personally think it is the best device I have ever used.
For a quick overview from me (in comparison to the X1, but most comments are applicable):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5667230&postcount=6
I stumbled on this video on youtube;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-3Bi-Eg2gQ
...and love his brutal (albeit bias and sometimes naive) honesty, it helps you make a decision because it's not a rant. So far you guys are proving some intelligent feedback also - so thank you and let's keep it coming!
I got the HD2 the day it was available in my country (one of the first in europe) and despite all the fixes and xda-dev recommendations i couldn't have it for more then 1 weekend. I sold it on monday morning.
I hated typing (i did try the keyboard cab which should lower the sensitivity), loading sms with some exchanged texts already (loading was awful for such powerful device), visibility outside was horrible, battery,..
Maybe my rant will be understanded better if i mention i'm a blackberry user that likes to try out new "hot phones" (no matter which brand or type of usage).
I've also tried the Nexus One and would say i liked it a tiny bit better then HD2, but still couldn't have it for more then a week.
So, why am i writing this.. After MWC last week, i've kind of wanted to give HD2 another shot. For the following reasons..
I've came across some nice taskbar buttons (which make it look so much better..), I saw there is a fix for sms loading time, i guess i could always install a different keyboard,.. and most imortantly i got a very nice (cheap) offer for a brand new HD2. Yesterday i even ordered a nice case (didn't like the one that comes in the box) and a screenprotector (which might reduce the fingerprints, which i hated so much and a visibility outside,.. hope i'm not too optimistic).
If i somehow manage to be happy with HD2, i might even go for the exnteded battery. And i'm kind of feeling the hype for WinMo7 rom for this device.. Don't know if it will be any better or worse, i just know there is some excitement about it
Hope my rant / "long mess" didn't bore you too much
+1 to buy with eyes closed.
OK, this will be quick because I'm supposed to be doing something else right now but anyway...
I've just sent my HD2 back because of a problem with the microphone so if anyone should be telling you to think of other alternatives - it should be me.
But I can't because I love the phone. It's fast, responsive, it's got most of the features that you could ever want (minus USB host), the screen is gorgeous and the interface is pretty damn usable.
It's not perfect however... Customising it is more trouble than it should be. There is a slight pink hue in the middle of the camera when the contrast and saturation are turned up high enough to make the colours look half lifelike and when the screen is completely white, at certain angles you can see the grid dots that make the screen's matrix.
So to resume, if you don't mind spending some time on it and you're not completely obsessive about things being absolutely perfect (I am and I can still get to sleep at night) then you should be very happy with an HD2.
NeoGreendawg said:
There is a slight pink hue in the middle of the camera when the contrast and saturation are turned up high enough to make the colours look half lifelike and when the screen is completely white, at certain angles you can see the grid dots that make the screen's matrix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The pink hue is solved with an update from HTC (here)
The dots are also visible on an iPhone, its down to the technology, not the device alone.
rp-x1 said:
The pink hue is solved with an update from HTC (here)
The dots are also visible on an iPhone, its down to the technology, not the device alone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I'm sorry but the HTC hotfix did slightly improve the issue but it certainly didn't resolve it in my case. I love the phone believe me but I somehow doubt that anyone who isn't employed by HTC or affected by Daltonism could honestly claim that it has completely solved the issue.
Edit : Not trying to be rude or make out that it's a deal-breaker but I know that as a potential buyer I'd want to know about it.
I've had the HD2 for three weeks and use it every day. I also end up resetting it every day. I've come from a Nokia N96 and before that the N73, so I'm comparing it to the N96. I am very pleased with the speed of the phone and how operations take way less than a second to perform, instead of several seconds a la N96.
The phone itself is a bit too big. Perhaps a 4 inch screen would have been enough. Even though I have big hands, it's just too big to walk around and hold the phone with one hand. I'm scared of dropping it. The headphone port's on the bottom of the phone - it causes the cable to tangle up around the phone when in a pocket.
I have found plenty of bugs in the stock O2 1.43 firmware and know how to deal with the main ones.
I didn't realise the phone had an FM tuner until I found it after a few days on the Start menu - I used the N96 FM tuner almost every day. Unfortunately the tuner on the HD2 is really poor. It is unable to obtain a good quality signal. Sound dips out. There's an awful lot of interference in places where the N96 would have relayed a good quality signal. In places where the N96 got a poor signal, the HD2 has static. BBC Radio 1 has the most powerful signal in my area, yet the HD2 fails to get consistent reception. There's just too much interference and I often just shut the radio off. A huge let down; I wonder if it's hardware or software at fault.
The N96 music player was very well featured, but incredibly (pathetically) slow. In contrast, the HTC Music app has no such delays, is very fast but somewhat basic in comparison. A lot of cool N96 features are missing; there's no way to call up the keyboard to locate tracks, track details can't be edited, tracks can't be deleted, backing out of an album takes you to the top of the album list and not to where you were. There's no hardware buttons to change tracks when the phone's in a pocket (a swipe up/down on the lock screen to change tracks would be nice). Volume control has too few stages so is either too loud or too quiet; volume within the Music tab has more stages but doesn't always work (error in Services.exe). General audio quality is rather poor - even the iPod classic 5G sounds better! Occasional unexplained sound dips and audio which lacks in bass and treble. The oddest thing is the shuffle feature tends to replay swathes of tracks that have already been played.
Video playback is very impressive because of the screen size. Can't fathom why the Windows Mobile OS cannot play WMV. Get quite a few dropped frames and put that down to the poor quality 1.43 ROM and perhaps not-fully-developed decoders. Video viewing in general is very nice, although an afterthought within HTC Sense, as the video playback has essentially just been tacked on to HTC's photo viewing app.
I do like the phone, it is good enough to stop me wanting to go back to my last phone. I'd get one, but the HD2's not quite the tech lover's wet dream that some of the big review sites make it out to be. Having bought it from the O2 network, I'll seriously doubt I'll ever be able to officially upgrade the firmware (HTC isn't even listed on their software upgrade pages), so I'll have to learn alternative methods one of these days to see if I can iron out some of the bugs!
Wish they would just whack a snapdragon and capacitive screen in a HD and re-release it....think that would satisfy a lotta folks. Cheers all for your input, it's really helping me to set realistic expectations.
I was contemplating on whether I should buy a Nexus One instead of the HD2, but I decided to go for the HD2 instead because it was cheaper, had a nice screen resolution, specifications don't differ much between both devices, and i'm looking forward to the Windows 7 release on the HD2
i am currently contemplating to switch from HD to HD2....is it worth it?
Buy it!
I come from the HD. The HD2 is what the HD should have been from the first instance.
Fantastic:
- speed (and I am using a stock French Orange ROM based on 1.43!)
- screen
- usability
As far as precision is concerned: I need a phone to check and type (even long) emails, and read documents. XT9 works just great, but even in ABC mode in landscape the accuracy is pretty good (and I type fast!).
If you need to play around with programs using stylus-based input, yes, then it gets really annoying (try to edit your registry in Total Commander and you'll get crazy).
In summary: if you want to tweak it like crazy all the time or intensively use older programs with small menus, then consider buying an alternative with a resistive screen and a stylus. But if you actually want to USE your phone with the standard applications, just buy it and you'll get the best of the market today imo!
to buy or not
i have it for a month after the trinity.
sorry but it hasnot voice call
no handwriting recognition
battery ends quickley
no video call
no .chm file reader
all of these were on the trinity.
so i am sorry buing it
Mastoid said:
I was contemplating on whether I should buy a Nexus One instead of the HD2, but I decided to go for the HD2 instead because it was cheaper, had a nice screen resolution, specifications don't differ much between both devices, and i'm looking forward to the Windows 7 release on the HD2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope you do realize that there may eventually never be a WP7 release for the HD2?
rottttman said:
i have it for a month after the trinity.
sorry but it hasnot voice call
no handwriting recognition
battery ends quickley
no video call
no .chm file reader
all of these were on the trinity.
so i am sorry buing it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U'd better search for infos about the phone after buying it

Why I am happy with my Xperia

After having read one too many "I hate my Xperia and wish I had an iPhone" thread I thought I'd make a thread for people to remember why they bought an Xperia.
Does it have it's issues? Absolutely, but it makes up for it (for me at least) in many other ways.
I originally bought the Xperia X1a because it was the ONLY 3G capable WVGA device available for AT&T bands (850Mhz and 1900Mhz). It has a nice feeling keyboard, it has a beautiful display, and it has a very nice hand-feel. Even when I pick it up now it just feels so good in the hand. In fact I haven't had one that felt so good to hold since my old SE W810i. I had the Hermes and Kaiser and both were clunky and unenjoyable to hold.
The Xperia keyboard has a very pleasant keyboard. Its clicks are well defined and the arc slider's spring assist makes it a real joy to slide out. Also my battery life has been superb. Even running 24/7 Push E-mail and a separate IMAP account I still get over 48 hours of power.
Also it came with SPB Mobile Shell for FREE. SPB is, arguably the best Windows Mobile Shell available and it was a sheer joy to use, and while the default SE Panels were rather unimpressive I love that I can switch from Titanium/Sense, to SPB, to PointUI, as well as the absolutely gorgeous Growing Panel with just two presses.
While the processor is unimpressive it has been consistently able to run AVC Video at WVGA resolutions (some ROMs worked better than others, actually).
Sony also added a pretty good Xt9 SIP keyboard (I prefer TouchPal anyway) and with custom ROMS bringing Titanium and Sense to my Xperia I wonder why I would get anything else.
Pros:
1) Very High Res screen (More than double the lowly iPhone)
2) Latest UIs (I got SPB MS 3 from Korean site )
3) Great hand-feel
4) Great 3G performance (if you are on U.S. AT&T Xperia X1a is the best, for now)
5) Long Battery life
For those of you who might say I am glossing over some of the downsides, well sure, but this is a why I am HAPPY with my Xperia thread. (I have found most of the complaints to either be largely due to user error, or what I would call "making mountains out of molehills", but that's just my opinion).
Anyone else feel like their much maligned X1 has been getting unfair treatment feel free to offer some positive feedback for the device that, hopefully, we all still love.
P.S. - I got this idea from flamingsamurai
I am loving this phone right now.
*Opera mini feels as fast as my LEO and 3gs.
*The ability to use panels is a good point too.
*HTC Kaiser and TP2 were nice but chunky phones for me (bricks).
*The screen is just about as wide as the iphones and the device is much smaller.
*The hardware keys come in really handy. The optical sensor is good for menus.
*The keyboard is nice with good width for keys.
*Its a beautifully constructed metallic device.
* I am using vakleryire firestorm leo with htc sense activated in the home menu and it feels like a compact leo.
*No accelerometer but I use left softkey remapped to rotate screen.
* Android and Ubuntu are in deep progress as far as I can see (3 OS in one!).
Many more too.
Swap with 1ghz, increased ram/rom and the 0.2 inch for the screen and you have one of the best devices out there!
I like my X1 because it actually 'feels' like a communication device rather than an MP3 player with a call function. I honestly think the iphone looks and feels really dopey. I also have to agree that it feels great in the hands too. The way the keyboard springs open is just incredibly badass. The weight and the metal fascia just feel so classy. The panels are fun to change up every now and then, and I think it's just cool to have windows on such a tiny device. I thought my itouch felt like I had a little computer on me at all times, but the X1 is even more so. I feel a lot more organized on the X1 than I think I would with an iphone.
I had a hard time choosing between the X1 and iphone, but in the end, I couldn't justify paying the same price for a device (3G) with far less inferior hardware specs than the X1 just because of what it is. I generally hate apple products and didn't want to give in to their supremacy by getting and iphone. Sure apple's touchscreen is awesome, but I didn't feel I needed it for a phone; that's where my itouch comes in.
I found that apple's accelerometer annoying sometimes when I'm using it in weird angles, i.e. lying down in bed. I think I'm just glad to know that my X1 would be vastly superior in outer space than an iphone. You know, space-proof, just in case.
In the end I'm glad I made my decision to get the X1 and keep my itouch for my apple needs, rather than combining everything into one device. I'll use my itouch for video, music, and games; my X1 strictly for communication and productivity.
I actually love my X1 and think that it was the best phone I could get. After learning about the potential physical short comings, I'm going to do my best to baby this phone to make it live forever. If she dies, I'll revive her.
Sony eirccson is a pretty cool guy. eh is better than teh ifone and doesn't afraid of anything...
A message to the OP; when did you purchase your X1? Was it brand new. refurbished, or used?
Anyways, if the device was increased to the scale of having a 3.5 inch screen, I would definitely have kept my device.
Absolutely agree with everything said, especially about the X1 being space proof =D
Also people complain about WM, and I have no problem with it, its perfectly logical, and if you use a rom which you like, then it runs fine. Someday you'll be able to jump ship to android. Anyways I'll always love it, its fun to fiddle around with, rather than be a boring symbian phone, where you have no control.
And wheres the fun in having a phone everyone has?
Great thread Hannigan
I wouldn't call the phone cracking by itself user error. It's true, the phone does have good points, but it doesn't get the basics down.
If I have to keep the phone in a safe vault for it to not crack, what use is it?
I like the optical sensor and having the ability to choose between the optical sensor and physical clicks for directional input. However, I hate the feel of the keyboard.
Finally a thread where people actually enjoy the phone
What I like about the X1:
The Professional look and feel of the phone
Screen size and HD Res.
Modding capabilities and Hacks and the Different UI's you can put on it.
Camera front and Back and video recording
Optical mouse pad
Keyboard
Speed of phone, yes thats right I said Speed.
Wifi
GPS
HD games/PS1, sigh....... I miss Call of Duty 2 but I just couldn't go back to Sh!ty 6.1
And most of all The fact that their very little people that have heard of or seen this phone where i live. Actually I'm the only that owns one I don't know anybody with this phone in Auburn,NY .
@Rydock I'm glad to see your enjoying your X1 so far.
I'm still getting use to my X2 (just got it this week) but over all the more I get use to it the more I love it.
Single greatest reason why I love my X2 is .... Keyboard! =) (I hate typing on my ipod touch, nor do my fingers allow for a smooth scroll on the screen).
My only hope is the 2 up and coming firmwares fixes the little minor issues I have.
poetryrocksalot said:
A message to the OP; when did you purchase your X1? Was it brand new. refurbished, or used?
Anyways, if the device was increased to the scale of having a 3.5 inch screen, I would definitely have kept my device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought mine new on eBay from an Australian retailer selling a Telstra NextG model (it comes unlocked). Only U.S. sources I could find had significantly higher prices for the X1a. I received it in February or so I think? About 1 year old.
Why do you ask about age and status? I presume you had one and are on U.S. AT&T. Were you curious since it is so rare in U.S.?
P.S. - I would prefer a bigger, flush screen. Then again it is still the largest screened phone I have ever had. And for me the physical keyboard is a huge benefit (Had Hermes and Kaiser before so I like them side sliders).
My X1 is still my favourite phone, the modding capabilities are what does it for me.
I like the fact it's my phone, I've customised it to how I want it to work, I can't do that to any other phone I've owned.
The screen is great, it runs smoothly, i can get push email from multiple accounts no problem, I sync my contacts and calendar, vide oplayback is generally good, ther are a few files that is has problems with, but that's pretty rare.
Sound quality is great, shame abut the speaker, but I generally have it on silent and use a bluetooth headset or headphones.
It looks great, the build is solid, it's been dropped countless times now, ther are a few dents, cracks and scratches, but I expect that after the battering it's had over the last months!
I love having a QWERTY, but I wish it was more friendly for single hand use.
I've found myself using titanium over any panels, and things like the wifi router abilities, even torrents, mean i can do anything I want on it.
The X2 with a 1GHz processor would probably be my ideal phone! Just wish that looked more like the X1.
I'm happy to see that there are at least a few of us who are more than satisfied with the Xperia
It's always good to hear some positivity for a change. Thanks for the input, to all of you.
It's been a year since I last used my Xperia regularly. I would like to use it more, because I really enjoy the QWERTY keyboard (it has four rows and a dedicated @ button, etc) and it's a very versatile device. There are some great ROMs out for it now as well: Sense 2.5, Windows Mobile 6.5.3, X2 and what not.
But what keeps me from going back to it is the Xperia's tiny screen, in combination with the high resolution. WVGA is mainly used on 4, 3.7 and 3.5 inch displays, and not on merely 3 inches. In fact, is there even another 3" WVGA device in the world? It looks great, sure, but everything is so petite that it hurts my eyes
I think such a small display also puts a lid on the overall user experience. If the Xperia had a 3.5" display, or even 3.2", I would have used it *a lot* more. Because as pointed out in this thread, it does have plenty of strengths.
Hi all,
in fact I just BOUGHT an X1 afresh!
I'm using an HTC Touch HD with customized ROM as my primary device, and still think that's the best setup for me. The only things that bugged me were the width and the absolute lack of any tactile experience.
So I shopped around ...
In fact I actually ordered a Motorola Milestone: I wanted to see if I liked Android, the reviews are enthusiastic, and it has a hardware keyboard.
Guess what: I sent it back the day it was delivered. (but that's another story)
And so I went back to Windows Mobile.
My new X1 (and in fact it is brand new) has everything that I was looking for. It sits well in your hand, and I mean as a phone it feels just right. I'm quite happy with the keyboard, and I love the rich feel of the slider. And finally: Hardware buttons hooray!
Other than that it's got pretty much everything my Touch HD has, minus the G-sensor (and I can live with that).
So I use the HD for business (because it's lightweight and discreet to carry in a jacket) and for navigation (big screen!) and the X1 for leisure. Btw, the media panel is just amazing in terms of audio output!
All in all I've fully returned to WM thanks to the X1, and I don't see myself migrating to Android, WebOS, iPhone or Symbian any time soon. Windows Phone 7 Series (or whatever it's called) is downright scary in its restrictions, so I'm glad that 6.x will still be around for power users like us.
Bliss.
N.

My X10 review after 2 months of usage

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
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You apparently have never heard of the mobile phone operating system called "Android" made by the Google Corporation.

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