sony ericsson

The first in my occasional series of videoblogs where real people review smartphones. In this installment, Zak Greant reviews the Sony Ericsson W810i. He likes it but it's still a bit rough around the edges (e.g. no real integration with iTunes or any other music player app). As an open source evangelist for eZ Systems and formerly sxip and MySQL as well as doing work for Mozilla Foundation and others, Zak travels a lot, so he loves the quad band. Of course Zak bought the phone outside of Canada since it was not available in Canada at that time. Finally, come on Sony and Nokia, put standard headphone jacks in your music phones!

[NOTE to self, turn image stabilization on next time and film in a place with more light than Take 5.]

6 minutes 10 seconds, recorded 19 December 2006 at Take 5 Cafe at 429 Granville using a Nokia N93 at 640x480 30fps in MPEG-4 format

Spoke about the phones pictured below:

Wanted to speak about these phones:

Here are my notes :

- smartphone = a phone that can do more than just phone
    - usually email, also PDA functions (appointments) and some have
      camera, video, etc.
    - do you really need always on email with a full keyboard and the
      bulk? no! unless you are in real time business like stocks IMHO
      Otherwise, SMS good enough for emergency alerts.
- what to buy
    - I. mainstream - blackberry p: original is still best for email
      lovers c: not hip, not funky, no camera, no apps $ telus 99-549
      device $22.50-$155/month for voice and email  rogers 249-549 for
      device voice and email $45-90/month
        - 2nd choice treo 650 p:lots of apps c: not hip, not funky,
          clunky, no camera $ telus 99-499 for device $22.50-$155/month
          for voice and email rogers 349-699 for device $45-100/mont
          for voice and email
        - 3rd choice: motorola q p:cool style, size  c: windows mobile,
          new $ telus 249-599 device $22.50-$155/month for voice and
          email
    - II. instant messaging addicts - hiptop p: cheap! awesome keyboard
      gives best IM and email experience, ghetto chic c: no apps,
      ghetto chic $ fido 200-550 unlimited (!) data (email, im, web)
      $20/month voice: $20-100/month
    - III. wannabe europeans/asians/geeks: nokia e61 p:lots of cool
      apps c: only for geeks and power users who don't mind getting it
      in asia or europe or gray market
    - IV mobile music mavens: n91 p: my phone, 4GB hard drive wifi,
      engineered in Burnaby c: doesn't work with itunes, same as e61
    - V mobile photographers,  bloggers and videobloggers: n90 (and n93
      Q3 2006) p:fantastic photos and video c: same as e61, size
        - second choice: sony k750i, k800i etc p: great camera c: no
          apps, same as e61
- technology
    - GSM="VHS", CDMA="Betamax" You can use a new GSM device from any
      manufacturer by moving SIM chip. Can't do that with CDMA = major
      disadvantage
    - whole world except canada, usa, korea, japan use GSM
    - GSM in Canada = Rogers and Fido (not so great coverage outside
      cities), Bell and Telus = CDMA
    - GSM becoming more popular in US, nonexistent in 1998 now almost
      everywhere thanks to T Mobile and Cingular
    - If you buy from Bell and Telus you are locked into their limited
      CDMA devices
    - Recommendation: go with Fido or Rogers and don't get a contract
      if you can afford not to! unless you need the great rural
      coverage of Bell and Telus so you can buy cool devices from grey
      market/asia/europe if/when you need them. Bell, Telus, Fido and
      Rogers don't offer any really cool mobile devices.
- future (2010 and beyond)
    - flat rate pricing, current pricing is byzantine 
    - all devices work anywhere in the world, no need to worry about
      CDMA, GSM and other crazy tech terms
    - create and share anything (phone calls, video calls, audio, text,
      videos, photos)  anytime with anybody from your mobile device for
      $50-$100/month, no Canadian affordable unlimited general purpose
      plans to do this today and the networks are too slow
- Mobile Power user or geek
    - Come to BarCamp Vancouver August 25th and participate or lead   
      a session, it's free (suggested 20$ donation)
    - barcamp.org/BarCampVancouver