I'm talking about mobile phones and mobile devices too much lately, but oh well.
Seems the infamous Sony Ericcson P800 has been delayed yet again. Sony Ericcson are blaming network operators in being slow to test the unit and approve it for their networks, which I guess makes some degree of sense given the amount of features and functionality in it - but GSM is a global standard, surely if the phone complies and the operators network complies then it should be no problem.
[
]In reality, what I'm pretty sure they mean when they say "network testing" is that they are training their customer services smacktards to be able to deny functionality, or give nice clueless responses to questions they will be asked. Makes sense I guess, I just wish that wholesale/retail companies like Expansys could be given some stock so that people willing to cut themselves on the bleeding edge such as myself can rush in and get going, at an inflated price of course.
Ironically I think I've talked myself out of buying it anyway - after doing the last comparison between the P800 and the 7650 it became obvious that the size/weight of the 2 devices was about the same, and thats just too. Its amazing how a carefully taken product photo can give one a different impression..
[Motorola T720]
While watching Star Wars the other night, I was informed during the commercial break (about 2398 times) that the movie was sponsored by the new Motorola T720! After checking out the phone, it seems to be aimed at people who want basic PDA functionality, GPRS connectivity, and not much else. No room for expansion, and it seems to have no media capabilities (most websites are reporting the phone in preview / preorder phase at the moment, so I guess its possible the specs could still change before the final release date). No size/weight dimensions are available, but from the photo it looks like quite a slim and compact model, but still with a decent sized screen due to its flip design (again, people seem to either love or hate a flip design). A good concept for people who get a lot of use out of their PDA and want to cut it down to one device, but not quite so good for those wanting a fully web enabled device and some media capabilities. Looks like quite a nice phone, and the absence of expansion and media abilities should place it in a slightly lower price range.
Expansys currently have this available for preorder [here].
[
][Microsoft Windows® Powered Smartphone]
The latest T3 magazine has a short bit about this up and coming phone, which appears to be a combined effort between Orange and Microsoft. Interesting combination. The phone is currently only being released in the UK and France, but looks like a step in the right direction. You can view a bit of information on this phone [here].
16mb RAM, 32mb ROM, integrated SD Memory slot, Optional camera attachment (nice idea to make it optional), T9 predictive text (I like the way manufacturers are actually all using the T9 standard) and a screen offering 65,000 colours at 176 x 220. Dimensions are L:11cm x W:4.5cm x D:2cm with a weight of 95g, so its sitting at a decent size/weight combination for the amount of functionality it offers. The software bundled with it seems pretty much like a cut down version of PocketPC, of course being Microsofts OS for mobile devices, and happily includes Media Player. I hope it will support MP3 (and possibly OGG if that takes off) and not just WMA.
Syncing with a PC is done via Activesync, which is either good or bad news for those who have dealt with it before!
Although the thought of a Microsoft phone is a little scary, the combination of features seems to be a good one so far. All the obvious jokes about your phone crashing still hold, but reports of the stability of the T6