Sneak preview: My Darth N97

Thoroughly enjoying the N97 since I got it.... More to come....

The Dark Side: Nokia N97

This is just a sneak preview...

For days, I have been pondering on whether to I should go with the masses and be a Storm Trooper, because as you know, Storm Troopers are just so uber cool... but the force was always strong within.

But then, as a friend said, there are many Storm Troopers, but only one Darth Vader...

So behold, my newly arrived Nokia N97 Black....

Over the next few days, I will be posting my thoughts and experiences with the N97. I absolutely love what I see so far... with the exception of a minor setback earlier... but, more on that later....

I'll be back, after the commercials.....

Nokia N97 finally starts shipping.... (Yes, I'm alive)

Image courtesy of www.symbian-guru.com

Its official. The Nokia N97 has begun shipping today. To 75 countries worldwide, uncommon of Nokia given that they usually release new products in spurts to selected countries. Hopefully, Brunei is one of those 75 lucky countries.

There are so many good (p)reviews of the N97 already flying around the world wide web. Many claim that this is THE Nokia flagship to wait for. Reading so many, I can only say the only way to know is to try it.

But dang, it looks good.

I've been so held up with my daytime job lately, that I have not been able to post a decent phone review. I just realised, I haven't done one since my last Nokia E63 review. This sucks.

Thing is, I still can't see the light at the end of the tunnel just yet....

Its only April...

Yes, its been a month of sheer silence. Like a month of April Fool's day everyday. It almost seems as if nothing much was happening in the market. Nothing great to look forward to, nothing worth selling everything you own for... uninspiring you could say.

From the looks of things, everyone's just waiting for mid-2009, for more news on the Palm Pre or the now-rumoured new iPhone form factor. Either way, its still a good 3 months away, at least, especially for us here in Asia.

For one thing, it will be a great battle. And there can only be ONE winner. But a new iPhone though? Who really knows? Apple sure has a great knack for keeping things hushed. We can only wait. One thing's for sure, Apple had better make sure it does everything and more!

But, for me, I think I know what my next purchase will be, the new Nokia E75. Allabout symbian has reported that today, the E75's have started shipping! FINALLY! From the many (excellent) reviews I've read here and here and here, I think it will suit my needs very well. Time to replace my E71 and E66 soon anyway ;) If none of you have ever heard of FP2, read here at mobile-review for a good write up about it. If anything, personally, its reason enough to upgrade!

Now the question begs, what colours (black? bronze? red? all?) will arrive here in Brunei? And then... what colour should I get?! Decisions decisions....

Nokia - New releases for Eseries and Nseries

The year is beginning to have a bright outlook for Nokia. In Barcelona recently, there were a few key updates which promises to take the world by storm yet again. Not surprising really, considering they were not very-well-kept secrets.

We've all known and loved each of their Eseries models from popular best sellers like the E61's to E61i's to E51's to E90's and especially the current E71's that have flooded out markets, Nokia's hold on the business segment continues to remain strong.

Let me introduce to you.... the Nokia E55, Nokia E75 and the Nokia N86.

Nokia E55

Specs for the E55

• Touted to be the upgrade for the ever-popular E51
  
• Most prominent feature, the QW-ER-TY keyboard (very reminiscent of the Sony Ericsson P1)
• Quad band GSM/GPRS./EDGE with (tri-band) HSDPA 10.2Mbps speeds
• Very stable and well known S60 3rd edition OS with FP2
• 2.4" QVGA TFT 16M display with 240 x 320 pixel resolution.
• 60MB onboard storage with a shipped 2Gb micro SD card inbox.
• Available in Black and white aluminium
• Some sites report a one month standby time (???!!!)(I've yet to believe that)
  

Nokia E75
Specs for the E75

• Expected to be the forefront for the Eseries range
• Full slide out QWERTY keyboard and a regular alphanumeric keypad (Both existing E71 AND E51 would probably find this appealing)
• Most complete Messaging device to date from Nokia.
  
• Connectivity features - Wifi 802.11 b/g, A-GPS support with Nokia Maps
• 3.2megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE with tr-band HSDPA (3.6Mbps)
• Very stable and well known S60 3rd edition OS with FP2
• 2.4" QVGA TFT 16M display with 240 x 320 pixel resolution.
• 50MB onboard storage with a shipped 4Gb micro SD card inbox.
• Available in Silver Black, Red and Copper Yellow colours.
  

Nokia N86

Specs for the N86

• Very similar to what the existing N85 already offers
• Most outstanding feature - the first 8 megapixel camera which possesses shutter speeds of up to 1/1000 of a second, f-stop range of 2.4-4.8 and a 28mm wide-angle lens that Nokia claims is equal to that of a wide-angle 35mm SLR! It also sports a 3rd generation dual LED flash which should work at distances of up to 3.5m. (Shutterbugs might drool at this)
• Quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA support
• Very stable and well known S60 3rd edition OS with FP2
• 2.6" AMOLED QVGA display (also present in the N85)
  
• 8GB internal storage
• A 3.5mm audio jack and TV out
• Available in black and white
  

All 3 phones should start shipping by 2Q09.

So, if any of you are keen for an upgrade (even for those who own E71's), these new releases could very well stroke your interest.

My Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 review

The long LONG awaited and highly publicised X1 has finally arrived on our shores! The much advertised marriage between Sony Ericsson and Windows Mobile. When it was first announced, everyone (especially Windows Mobile users) were captivated by the new fancy interface, with icons that zoom in and out, zipping left to right. Very iPhone-ish wouldn't you say?

I've spent a good few weeks with the X1.

It has been interesting.

So, what are my first impressions? Is it all its glammed up to be? Is this really the saviour flagship phone for Sony Ericsson? Should YOU get it? Read on..



Inbox
1 x Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 unit
1 x travel adapter with bundled miniport USB
1 x stereo headset with built-in microphone
1 x extra pen stylus
1 x setup CD
Sony Ericsson X1 manuals

First impressions
When I was first informed that the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 had (finally) arrived, I immediately arranged to pick one up. Arriving home, quickly opening up the box, I was pleasantly surprised with the packaging. Very classy. Taking it out and holding it, I thought "this is it, the X1 that everyone has been waiting for". Before switching it on, I opened up the slider to reveal the keyboard that I had often just seen in photos online. (Coming from using an iPhone with a virtual keyboard, this was refreshing I had to admit). Quickly popping in my sim card (the battery cover was a bit tight to open, which is a good thing really), I switched it on and was greeted with a cool Xperia logo followed by a Windows Mobile 6.1 green screen (windows lovers will find this familiar). There's even a "mirror finishing" display screen when on standby. Not bad, not bad... It was a good first impression.

Physical aspects

• The SE Xperia comes in two colour variants; Silver and Black. My review unit is the black one as you can see.
• On the top, you will find the 3.5mm jack (great inclusion by SE for the music buffs) and the power / standby key.
  
• On the left, you will only see the mini USB slot.
• On the right, the volume rocker key and the camera activation button.
• At the back, you'll see the "3.2 megapixel" camera with flash and the XPERIA logo. As my unit is black, it looks very classy.
  
• The real star of the X1 is the slide out keyboard. As you can see, its very well laid out . The number pad is quite different from these you would have seen from Nokia, Blackberry, Treo or even the P1. Because of the space constraints, SE decided to place the number pad at the far right, instead of label them on the top. Honestly, it took me a while (very short one) to get used to it. Once I got cracking, I found myself finding a reason to SMS / email someone... (anyone!!). (Note: The threaded chat is fantastic! As it should be since this is a WinMob 6.1 device. Anyone who has not experienced what threaded chat can do yet, you wouldn't understand). But, I have to say, for big thumbs like mine, you will need to press the keys with a "little bit" more effort. I guess the design of the keyboard, being placed on a "slope" or "curve", whichever you want to call it, has sacrificed some usability. Not a major problem in my opinion.
• There is an optical sensor in the middle of the 4-way d-pad which is kinda cool at the beginning, but tends to get a little bit annoying and sometimes awkward after a while because its so sensitive! I mean, there's already a 4-way d-pad, so why include a optical sensor again?
  
• Overall, the build quality of the X1 is superb. It felt very solid and very classy . SE sure knocked this one out of the park. About time too SE!
  

Display

• When I first started up the X1, the full glory of the 800 x 400 VGA screen, I was blown away with the resolution. It is amazing. All packed into a nicely sized 2.8inch screen! I have to say its one of the best screen resolutions on a Windows device to date. But, the sacrifice will be the size of the fonts. If your eyesight isn't exactly 20-20, you might have to squint especially when reading under the sunlight. Also, maybe my fingernails weren't very sharp, so on some occasions I had to "angle" my "pokes" to make sure it hit the right areas. I suppose that's why they included a stylus. (But seriously, how many people really use those styluses anyway?)
  
• There's a key feature which SE included in the X1, not found in other windows devices, and its called "Panels". There are 7 loaded panels (hence the name) which are customisable and allows you to choose what you want as a home screen e.g. a clock interface, a weather interface, a media interface (where you can listen to music, select videos, view photos or even make a call), a Google interface and a few others. It doubles up as a shortcut/favourites sort of screen too. Quite handy. I found myself moving in between panels just for fun. But at the end of the day, I still liked my standard "Today screen" with info on my daily schedules and messages clearly laid out in front of me.

Photo courtesy of engadgetmobile.com

Call quality

• I tested the call quality both on the handset and on loudspeakers, both of which were clear and excellent. No major complaints here.
• Hitting the "call" button will bring up the standard list of recent calls. It took a while before I could get used to identifying what were my missed calls, dialed calls or received calls though.
  

Connectivity

• As you would expect, the X1 is touted as the most complete device that SE has released into the market. Go on, think of any feature you want. You'd probably find it on the X1. HSDPA, WIFI, GPS, Bluetooth... the list goes on.
  
• I tested out Opera with Wifi on the X1 and suffice to say, I was impressed with it. I guess it works as well as I'd expect it to. Checking my emails, my blog and even logging onto Facebook. All brilliantly clear on the beautiful screen.
  

Camera / multimedia performance

• Camera wise, this is perhaps the most used feature I used out of the X1. 3.2 megapixels with autofocus, 30fps video recording (albeit in VGA). Finally, a decent camera on a smartphone. OK, don't compare it to the killer SE C905 with 8megapixels but it puts up a fight compared to others out there like the Nokia E71, the E90 or even the iPhone. You can select the whole array of camera features, scene modes, flash on/off and even touch-select your focus points. Of course, in low light conditions, its not perfect. But like I always say in my reviews, if you want a clear night shot, use a real camera. But overall, I really had fun messing with this feature. I've included some shots taken with various scene modes.
  

A shot of the Bulletin in a dimly lighted room, with flash.

A shot of the garden outside. Full daylight.
Another shot of the garden.
A shot of the skies. Full daylight shot.
A shot of my little Tomy in a lighted room. No flash.
A night mode shot.
A night shot of my little Tomy. With flash.
A indoor shot of a house deco.
A close up shot of a Vaja leather case box.
A flash shot of the X1 box. Dim lighted room.

• I would imagine the majority of (potential) buyers be wondering about the multimedia capabilities. SE did a great job including a 3.5mm headphone jack which means you can used just about any headphone as you wish, instead of being just limited to SE's included ones. Audio was loud, clear and crisp. Throw in the ease of the music player "panel", and you find a pretty enjoyable piece of Sony Ericsson (Walkman) tradition in your hands.

Things I loved about the X1

• The build quality. It felt very solid in hand and quite a pleasure to use, especially with the slide out keyboard. Granted, you will need to put in a "little bit" of pressure when typing, but this is a minor issue in my opinion. Slide the X1 closed, you still get access to the whole array of shortcuts (ok, you wont be able to sms while driving, which is dangerous, so this is a good thing!)

• The notification lights. Ok, maybe its just me, but there's something quite cool about a blinking phone on your desk. Kind of shows your phone is still alive I always thought. There are 4 independant notification lights on the four corners of the X1. These LED lights change with various colors. Ok, maybe you're not like me, then you can still switch them off under settings. But, the lights do offer a nice touch and weren’t too distracting or overly bright.
• The battery life. Coming from using an iPhone, this was a joy. Making calls, sending numerous SMS's, occasional surfing on Wifi, listening to music, snapping random shots of things around me... I didn't need to charge for about 2 days.I'm sure it would last longer with "normal" use.
  
• The multimedia capabilities. I just loved watching videos and viewing my photos on the screen. Granted, its not as savvy as an iPhone, but for a SE device, this is pretty revolutionary. Throw in the decent audio sound and you have a good multimedia device enough to satisfy the business user and the casual users out there.
• Being able to charge with the USB cable when plugged into my pc. You'd be surprised but this is a very useful requirement. How many of us spend hours in front of the pc at work, or even at home? So why not use that time to charge up your X1 while transferring data across or even using the X1 as your modem? (I did not test this function as I did not have the review unit long enough to do so, but I'm sure it will work)
  

Things I didn't like about the X1

• The sensitive optical button. Occasionally, I found myself "accidentally" brushing past the icon/application I wanted and/or activating it by mistake. I really think SE didn't need to include this on the X1.
• Being a Windows Device, albeit with a fast 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7200 processor coupled with 256MB of RAM, a Windows device is still a Windows device. Sometimes pressing the "OK" button did nothing for a few seconds, or switching between portrait and landscape modes took a second longer than I wanted. BUT, the hardcore Windows mobile users out there would probably insist that this is normal. Maybe it is, but for me, I like my phones to react instantly you know? I'm fussy that way.
  

d3xlabs recommendations
Having finally been able to get my hands on the SE X1, I really had mixed feelings at first, as I'm not an avid Windows Mobile device user. But having spent a few weeks with the X1, I come away mildly impressed with it. Putting it through its paces, with using it as my daily workhorse, running my schedules, making my usual calls, pushing the multimedia to its capacities, even toying with GPS (I didn't report much on this. C'mon, do we really need to use this extensively in Brunei?), surfing with HSDPA and wifi... its quite a stunner this Sony Ericsson. Fully loaded and spec-ed out.

Sure there are minor niggles I have with it, but overall, the X1 has been a pleasure to use. The only thing is, it doesn't come cheap. For those of you who can afford this device, it won't disappoint, but I will be honest here too; there are cheaper alternatives in the market today that offer you similar features.

So was the wait worth it? I think so.

My Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 rating - 4 stars
Available at all Incomm outlets now
Retail Price - BND1,198
(Remember to use your DST privilege cards for better discounts)

Updates and a Treo Resurrection: New Treo Pro

Hi everyone. I am still very much alive. Been a bit held up over the past month which has kept me from completing my review and updating my site. Well, I'm back.... again.

I have still been keeping up to date with the new releases from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG, Motorola (the list is endless), Apple (yes the 3G has been set loose into the world!) and a even brand that's close to my heart, the Palm Treo.

This quarter's updates:

1. Nokia's released the 8800 Carbon Arte, N85 and N79 (N96 I just heard has started shipping for those of you who are waiting).
2. Sony Ericsson's released W902, W595 and the W302.
   
3. Samsung's released the highly acclaimed Samsung Omnia (I've actually had the chance to play with one up close. Its impressive). In black AND white variations too!
   
4. LG's released the successor to the Viewty, the KC910
5. Motorola's released a model called MOTOJEWEL. No prizes for guessing its targeted at the ladies.
   
6. Last but not least, a surprise by many, Palm has just released the new Treo update which is bound to take the (treo) world by storm; the Palm Treo Pro.

Treo Pro Specs

• Size: 114 x 60 x 13.5mm and 133g in weight.
  
• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• 256MB (100MB user available), 128MB RAM program memory
• Micro SD compatible
• 320 x 320 pixel (a FIRST in WinOS devices!) although 65k colours
  
• Touchscreen
• 3.5mm audio jack
• Comes in black

But just look at it. Its gorgeous.

Apple, another worth while mention, has launched the 3G variant of their take-the-world-by-storm iPhone. Available in 8Gb and 16Gb, black or white, this upgrade has caused queues and overnight sleepovers just like its predecessor did.

Decisions, desicions... with Christmas not long away, or Raya (however you see it) its time to carefully plan your next gadget of choice.