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SonyEricsson P800 - What's Hot & What's Not ...
ngws 30th Dec 2002

Introduction

    A couple of months back, I have the honor of reviewing the world's 1st mobile phone with an integrated camera, the Nokia 7650. Oh man, what an experience! MMS, built-in PIM, midi/wav/amr ringtones, Java support, Symbian softwares, web surfing, video recording and a whole list of unique utilities. Like I mentioned in that review, the Nokia 7650 was never meant to be a PDA replacement and should never be view or compare in that light. Notably, the lack of an expandable memory slot and only 4MB of usable main memory are the two main reasons why some users are staying away even though it's still selling very well. Not that I am complaining but 4MB is IN FACT sufficient for a lot of people out there and the Nokia 7650 is perfect in more ways than one for the average users.

Sony Ericsson P800 

    Now for the next wave. Arguably the most-talked-about item for the year 2002. The most anitcipated mobile phone from SonyEricsson and mentioned as a direct competitor to the Nokia 7650, the brand new SonyEricsson (SE) P800. Touted as the 'complete mobile device', the SE P800 comes with the followings 'extras' over the Nokia 7650:- 

  • Full multimedia support/playback - mp3, mpeg4, amr, wav, midi etc
  • Color touch-screen (for PDA-like functions)
  • Expandable memory slot using the new MemoryStick DUO
  • Full 12MB of usable main memory (may vary for language option)
  • Built-in Web Browser - HTML, xHTML, cHTML, WAP
  • Bluetooth headset profile for use with wireless headphone
  • Highest standby time of 400 hrs (subjective)
  • Large screen size of 208x320 
  • Handwriting recognition (Graffiti-like)
  • Built-in Documents Viewers (Microsoft Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat etc)
  • Jotter (for a quick note/sketch)
  • 5-Way Sony Jog-Dial
  • Tri-Band
  • Supports PersonalJavaTM
  • Animated ScreenSaver
  • USB Support (Cradle)
  • Uses the latest Symbian OS v7.0 (with UIQ interface)

The Phone - External

    The body of SE P800 has a baby blue hue and I have to admit that it does look kinda 'girlish'. The color is something that takes some getting used to and it would be great if SE could come up with additional colors. It also has a 'plastic-ky' look (much of it due to the color again) which is a departure from the strong, hard metallic chrome of most PDAs. It's surprisingly light for the size and comes with a unique detachable keypad.

    The SE P800 comes with a proprietary Sony Jog Dial which is a variation of those found on the popular line of Sony Clie PDAs and some Sony Series of mobile phones. There is a stereo headphone jack for attachment to stereo headsets for listening to MP3 or other music clips, an IR port and the power button. The other side housed the CommuniCam button, Web Browser button and the stylus. Both buttons are in fact, dedicated shortcut keys that connect you directly to your desired services. A nice touch indeed! Much like those buttons you find a PDA. No more fiddling thru. the menu ... The stylus looks like a gigantic toothpick and it clips on to the side when not in use. The slot for the MemoryStick DUO is 'hidden' behind the stylus .... a bad position if you asked me. 

Back

    An integrated camera! A 1000mAh battery for hours of entertainment and general usage. A connector for an external antenna. The last I saw one of these was on the Siemens SL45/ME45 ... The usual SE logo is also present. *Note: Unlike the Nokia 7650, the camera on the SE P800 doesn't have a 'protective' cover of any sort! There is nothing to shield the lens from your coins and keys!*

Cradle (SyncStation)

    The cradle or Sync station is connected to your PC via. a USB connection. There is also an additional point to plug in the charger so that you can sync and charge at the same time.



No Force Needed

    Regular users of PDAs will know that sliding the PDA into the cradles is sometime a hit-and-miss game. For my Fujitsu Loox, I have to slide it till the connector touches the base and push! all the way in :) No so for the SE P800, it's just align and drop ... no fuss at all.

   

    Well, there are some disadvantage to this arrangement though. As the phone is simply 'hinging' on the connectors, the phone is not entirely secured and tight ... the phone tends to move abit as you work with your stylus.

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