Sony Ericsson P800 Ready For Market

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20030220.html">http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20030220.html</a><br /><br />Nearly a year ago I wrote a small post <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=594">on the Sony P800</a> I played with at CeBIT. You will finally be able to buy one from T-Mobile, AT&amp;T Wireless or Cingular in the next few weeks. Or you can pay $649 from Sony Ericsson's Web site without a contract. 8O Walt Mossberg has written a review of this voice-centric device - more competion for the MS based Smartphone 2002 devices like the Orange SPV rather than the Pocket PC Phone.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/cebit2002/p800-1.jpg" /> <br /><br />"If you're looking mainly for a phone that can keep your organizer data and do multimedia, the P800 makes sense, especially if you travel world-wide. But if, like many Americans, you rely on e-mail, this gadget is the wrong choice."

[Janak Parekh]

Of course, Walt is writing this from the perspective of a Treo owner -- his biggest criticism is that there's no keyboard, thumbboard or otherwise. If I read it right, he'll like the Tungsten W.

In any case, I find it interesting how the market has changed. In the old days, people, including Walt, would clamor for the "simple cellphone". Now, email-capable devices are rapidly becoming a requirement... it's about time everyone else caught up! :D

I'd love to see what his review of the Hitachi Communicator will be...

--janak

[JohnnyFlash]

What OS does it use? is there memory expansion options? how much video / audio can be stored? how long does the battery last? is there a web browser? GSM? GPRS? Can you use your own existing email service? voice dialing? come with a handsfree kit? removable battery? service plans? IrDa port? games? PIM syncing? how fast does it seem? is the UI good? screen resolution? ring tones? etc etc

As for the weird comments about it not being suitable for Americans..

[wastl]

This one makes me seriously thinking not buying a PocketPC in the future:

The small device features a 64,000 color high-resolution screen,
- built-in video player
- VGA camera and camcorder
- music player
- FM radio
- rich unlimited gaming supported by Series60 or Java (J2ME)
- full set of business applications directly comparable to a normal PDA
- Bluetooth
- including local and wireless synch

The tri-band GSM device also sports class 10 GPRS, speakerphone, Java, Bluetooth

Oh yes nearly forgot => it is a Mobile Phone :roll:

:arrow: Now that is worth waiting for!!!!

http://www.siemens-mobile.com/mobile/CDA/presentation/ap_mobile_cda_presentation_frontdoor/0,2039,131_1057373,FF.html
Insanely long link (http://www.siemens.com/index.jsp?sdc_langid=1&sdc_ggid=&sdc_contentid=1034568&sdc_unitid=999&sdc_mpid=0&sdc_countryid=0&sdc_sid=4657500637&sdc_3dnvlstid=&sdc_secnavid=1034568&sdc_sectionid=4&sdc_flags=0&sdc_pnid=0&sdc_rh=&sdc_frommonthid=02&sdc_fromyearid=2002&sdc_tomonthid=02&sdc_toyearid=2003&sdc_unitchoiceid=1&sdc_searchtxt=SX1)

[Corn Bread]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure good old Walt will love the Tungsten W. :roll:

[wastl]

Regarding the above post from me of the new Siemens SX1

It has also:
Expansion Card
Card Type: MultiMediaCard (MMC) / Secure Digital (SD)

Here are the Specifications:

http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?id=271

WHO else wants one???????

[Corn Bread]

Regarding the above post from me of the new Siemens SX1

It has also:
Expansion Card
Card Type: MultiMediaCard (MMC) / Secure Digital (SD)

Here are the Specifications:

http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?id=271

WHO else wants one???????



Hmmm, interesting design. Are those the number keypads on the side? wouldn't that make it difficult to use?

[aviator]

I have been using the P800 for the last month and while it is a great little phone with all its different features etc, including the 64mb Memory stick DUO I managed to get last week, I would give it all up in favour of my IPAQ 5450 if only that unit had built in tri band GSM/GPRS (as well as the wifi).

Until that happens I guess I will keep both!

The P800 used the Symbian UIQ operating system and for people interested, read through this (http://my-symbian.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=3) forum or this (http://www.esato.com/board/24hours.php) one.

[PlayAgain?]

It's odd that this fella isn't impressed with the e-mail. I haven't used the P800, but my experience of the integrated messaging on the 9210 (E-Mail, FAX and SMS) is very positive (HTML and Rich Text support, attachments etc). Not being able to write large e-mails because it has no keyboard would have been, I thought, a given (though I find his comments on the handwriting recognition fascinating since other reviewers have said that it is the best they've used).

[Duncan]

The SX1 has been down as my next mobile from the first moment I heard of it! The P800 doesn't appeal. It has a number of quirks that make it rather unintuitive to my mind - plus it is very much a 'not quite PDA' - rather than the 'I know I'm a mobile phone but I can perform some other cool tricks' SX1!

[Duncan]

The phone keypad, while fine for the very brief text messages popular in Europe, is useless for composing, say, the 100-word e-mail common in the U.S.... But if, like many Americans, you rely on e-mail, this gadget is the wrong choice.

Well shucks, I jess can' get th' hang o' this e-mail thang - me being eu'pean an' all...

Honestly - has this guy ever left the US? What a patronising, parochial twit!

[jeffmd]

hmm, what video capabilities exactly? I records useing H.263 format. so is that all it can play back? my guess is yes, and that format sucks.

[CupertinoSlim]

The Bluetooth performance Mossberg found is very disappointing. Looks like I'll be getting the T68i instead and keeping my iPAQ.

[Ed Hansberry]

The phone keypad, while fine for the very brief text messages popular in Europe, is useless for composing, say, the 100-word e-mail common in the U.S.... But if, like many Americans, you rely on e-mail, this gadget is the wrong choice.

Well shucks, I jess can' get th' hang o' this e-mail thang - me being eu'pean an' all...

Honestly - has this guy ever left the US? What a patronising, parochial twit!
I think he is referring to the fact that Americans rely almost 100% on email while the Europeans have figured out the benefits of SMS.

[troyrogers]

or you can pay $649 from

Uh... no thanks. I don't need an all-in-one device that badly.

And doesn't Bluetooth know that it is stillborn?

[PlayAgain?]

hmm, what video capabilities exactly? I records useing H.263 format. so is that all it can play back? my guess is yes, and that format sucks.

I think that the only 'main' format it doesn't support is WMV, though I could be wrong.

[don dre]

I'm American and I use SMS though I do get tired of pecking away messages. My friends and use text messages all the time. Mayeb I'm secretly European. 8O

[Janak Parekh]

The Bluetooth performance Mossberg found is very disappointing. Looks like I'll be getting the T68i instead and keeping my iPAQ.
I don't know if I'd say Walt is an authority on this. SE, if anything, knows how to do Bluetooth. It's entirely possible there were problems on the desktop side...

--janak

[Ed Hansberry]

The Bluetooth performance Mossberg found is very disappointing. Looks like I'll be getting the T68i instead and keeping my iPAQ.
I don't know if I'd say Walt is an authority on this. SE, if anything, knows how to do Bluetooth. It's entirely possible there were problems on the desktop side...
Bluetooth simply isn't ready for prime time. :( It either works great or sucks horribly.

[bdegroodt]

The Bluetooth performance Mossberg found is very disappointing. Looks like I'll be getting the T68i instead and keeping my iPAQ.
I don't know if I'd say Walt is an authority on this. SE, if anything, knows how to do Bluetooth. It's entirely possible there were problems on the desktop side...

--janak

Completely agree Janak. I was really surprised to read Walt's statement around that. The last 2 SE-/// phones I have owned had BT and worked without a hitch on any device that was BT enabled.

[CupertinoSlim]

Bluetooth simply isn't ready for prime time. :( It either works great or sucks horribly.

You'd think that the P800 would have similar behavior to the T68i, which is explicitly supported by Apple's iSync. But in all the reviews I've read and comments by European P800 users who've had the phone for a while, I've not seen a single mention that they've sync'ed by BT to Mac or PC.

Using a BT phone with a PDA is less than ideal, since BT is a one-to-one connection only. You can't use BT to communicate with a PDA _and_ a headset, it's either the PDA _or_ the headset. Having the PDA embedded in the phone is one way of solving this, but if it can't sync, it's as much a problem as a solution.

[Kirkaiya]

I think that this could (only could) finally replace my iPaq & cell-phone that i carry around with me virtually everywhere.

I've tried to minimize bulk by having a small cellphone, and now an iPaq 1910, which is tiny, but it's still 2 devices. I've waffled back and forth on the "convergence" thing, but I think this device is the first attempt at it that I would even consider (i doubt I'll buy one, but maybe it's sucessor?)

Assuming that Walt was right, and the mail software that ships with it sux - well, 3rd party email progs might fix that (a la Pocket PC has @mail, and others). If the bluetooth issue turns out to be Walt's lack of techno-savvy, then this could be a great little device.

It's about the same size as my old Erricsson phone from 3 years ago, which wasn't bad, and seems to do most of what I do with my iPaq (Calendar, Contacts, Notes, semi-occasional brief emails, music, and some games).

things that make me go "HHhmmmmmmmmm" ;-)

[Shaun Stuart]

I am not sure the email software is as big an issue as is being made out - I have been reading the newsgroups on the P800 for some time and my understanding is that the email software is very good, you can have multiple accounts and sync with your PC no problems - including bluetooth sync. I have a MS Smartphone SPV at the moment and cant believe how poor email is. You can only sync with your PC OR setup ONE account to access wirelessly - you cant do both!. This maybe down to the carrier (Orange) and not MS but im not sure

I was so dissapointed with the SPV that I ordered a P800. It is due in the next week and I will let you know whether It will allow me to give up my Ipaq

For the full specs on the P800 go here
http://my-symbian.com/uiq/techdata.php

For the official site go here
http://www.sonyericsson.com/P800/main.htm

[CupertinoSlim]

Isn't Walt's complaint really about the text input, rather than the email? I guess you have to just try it out and see whether it is likely to fit your needs and working style.

[J2theIZZO]

hmm, what video capabilities exactly? I records useing H.263 format. so is that all it can play back? my guess is yes, and that format sucks.

I think that the only 'main' format it doesn't support is WMV, though I could be wrong.

WMV on a Symbian Device? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

There are different formats comming out on a regular basis, but there are still quite a few not supported on the P800 like Mpeg/Avi etc......You may gripe and moan about the input but I certainly find it easier for web surfing with the Opera browser on the P800 than I do using the Loox and connecting via BT, when your out and about the P800 has it all.

The Email client on the P800 is indeed good, the only gripe I have with it is the Sony memory stick, they charge 2x more than MMC/SD/CF etc.

But comparing it with the newly accured Loox, I'd say I prefer the P800, but the Loox has the edge when it comes to editing things...but then again, are these really based at the same end user? I think not.

And someone commented on how the P800 should be the same at the T68i?....The only way in which they are simlar is they are probably built in the same factory.

Symbian design the OS, and UIQ design the UI of the device, it's a completely different kettle of fish all together compared with the T68(i)...it can Sync via IrDA/BT/USB with a PC or Mac.

I had a quick play with the SX1 at the Symbian Exposium last week, and on the whole I was very impressed with the device, it uses the Series 60 UI which means there is already a huge number of titles for it.