Sony Ericsson P800: Mobile Phone Nirvana (updated!)
Written: Apr 08 '03 (Updated Apr 17 '03)
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Pros: PDA, Color, Bluetooth, GPRS, Camera
Cons: Large , no T9, Memory Stick Duo is proprietary and expensive.
The Bottom Line: If you are looking for a smartphone with camera, the P800 is worth a look. Excellent, industry-leading feature set.
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| powerpage's Full Review: Sony Ericsson P800 GSM / EGSM Cellular Phone |
I received a brand-spankin' new Sony Ericsson P800 yesterday to replace my T68i and I am absolutely amazed by this device. I ordered it directly from Sony Ericsson on 06 March and they quoted 4-6 weeks for delivery, it arrived in 13 days.
The P800 is quite intimidating, actually. The feature set goes on and on, but for me the important ones are:
* GPRS
* Bluetooth
* PDA
* Color
* Built-in camera
* Expandable memory
My first reaction is that the P800 is much cooler when you see it in person, the pictures on the Web just don't do it justice. It's plumper than the T68i, but you have to expect that given that the P800 adds a PDA with a large 1/4 VGA, 4096-color screen - and a camera that captures up to 640 x 480 pixels at 16 million colors (24 bit).
At first the keys seem to require a firm press but only feel that way because I was used to the T68i. The keypad flips down to reveal the touchscreen, which is only activated when flipped down. When the flip is up you have to use the jog/shuttle dial on the left-hand side to navigate.
P800 supports numerous audio formats, including: WAV, MP3, AU, G-MIDI and AMR, via the built-in Audio application. The included stereo headphones are excellent but it feels a little weird at first to be on a hands-free call in (simulated) stereo. The default movie and MP3 files make for a compelling demo.
First order of business - get online!
Without reading the manual I simply entered the server address I used from my previous instructions for setting up a T68i on GPRS with T-Mobile here:
Control Panel > Connections Tab > Internet Accounts > Edit > Advanced > Address > internet2.voicestream.com
Clicking on the Internet allowed me to browse the Web using zippy GPRS access in less than five minutes. I was floored how easy it was to get online, I only had to add one setting.
Because the included browser is somewhat lacking I immediately had to download and configure Opera for the P800. Opera is a much better browser as it shrinks Web graphics down to fit on the P800s 208 x 320 pixel screen.
Next order of business is to get more memory. The included 16MB Memory Stick Duo will barely hold a few applications, but on the first night I had completely filled it up. Do yourself a favor and order a 128MB Memory Stick Duo (Sony Part# MSG-M128A), the largest size they make, as soon as you get the phone. You'll need it. The Duo 128MB sticks are hard to find, post a comment if you've found them.
The P800 runs on Symbian OS 7.0 which supports software based on Java and C . Java compatibility (PersonalJava and J2ME CLDC/MIDP) lets you install games and utilities that fit your needs, so you can update your handset regularly with new applications and content.
I have been spending entirely too much time downloading applications My-Symbian.com. My current favorite is the Prosit MobileWebServer
I first read on Slashdot that a Doom port was available for Symbian.
It's with the greatest pleasure that I announce the availability of EDoom for the P800, version 1.0. You may download EDoom for free from: http://www.yipton.net EDoom for the Sony Ericsson P800 is fully playable by using the stylus as an on-screen joystick, has 8 channel stereo sound support and an on-screen virtual keyboard, alpha-blended in the Doom scene.
In order to make eDoom run you will need to download doom1.wad and doom3.wad and install them in Documents/DOOM on the Memory Stick. Keep the files in .zip format when you send them to the phone via Bluetooth.
Doom is more trouble than it's worth, instead install Men in Black II: Alien Pursuit and Stunt Run from the included CD-ROM. Because the included PC Suite is Windows only you will need to send these files over Bluetooth. Apple's iSync does not yet support the P800, but I hear that Apple is working on this for a future release. Feel free to email Apple requesting P800 support. :^)
If you don't need sleep you should also check out Peter van Sebilles other excellent P800 applications for screen captures and eMame (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator.)
According to Sony Ericsson battery life is 13 hours (talk time) and 400 hours (standby), but experience dictates that real-world performance is about half of that. In my first day with a fully charged battery it lasted about 24 hours but only because I was using it heavily for many sequential hours (backlight on), I was transferring a lot of data over Bluetooth, using the GPRS connection and making calls.
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updated 04/18/03
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It has been almost one month since taking delivery of my new
Sony Ericsson P800 mobile phone and I wanted to post the first follow-up. If you haven't already, you should read my first P800 article "Mobile Phone Nirvana." The first article was written after about two days of actual (albeit intensive) use. Three plus solid weeks of real world use has given me a chance to look at some of the practical features and drawbacks of this cool phone.
Functionality, Cases
The phone is more than a successor to the wonderful Sony Ericsson T68i - it is a complete departure. Where the T68i was a tiny powerful color Bluetooth phone, the P800 is more akin to a small computer that makes phone calls and take pictures.
Sure, it's bigger, but it does so much that the tradeoff in size is well worth it for the expanded functionality. I started out keeping it in the nice nylon case included in the package but quickly rememberred why I like an "operate-in" case like the Krussel Classic Multiadapt - a closed case is impratical for a cell phone, it requires the extra step of opening it and removing your cell phone when the phone is ringing. This exercise was bound to cause a fumble and drop of the phone so I went to a no case "nude" approach. P800 cases are currently available from Krusell and Piel Frama and on the way from Vaja Cases. I wish that Convertec made an "operate-in" case for the P800. Stay tuned for case reviews.
Keeping a Smartphone in your pocket (without a case) means some additional precautions need to be taken. The phone should be the only thing in your pocket for obvious reasons. Keys, coins and other hard objects can damage your phone or scratch the screen. The screen gets fairly dirty going in and out of a pocket so I picked up a set of three Brando P800 screen protectors on eBay for US$7.50 (search for "p800 screen"). They are similar to WriteRight screen overlays for your PDA. They make the screen a tad softer and are a pain to install (plan on trashing the first one) but the extra protection is worth it.
Performance
Overall menu performance is fast, launching some apps will take a few to several seconds during which the screen goes gray. Speed of the Symbian OS is good to excellent.
The speakerphone is a nice surprise. Walking around and multitasking while on the phone is excellent on the speakerphone. The speaker is on the bottom so you need to lay the phone screen down for best results. The person you are talking to is loud and clear and most times they can't even tell that you have them on speaker. The P800 lacks the T9 text entry shortcuts found on the T68i, a surprising oversight. I hope that this is addressed in the next revision to the software.
New R2D Firmware Available
Rumors have been flying around recently on the Esato P800 message boards about a firmware upgrade (R2D) that adds a number of features and enhancements. Well, it was releases this week but only in Europe.
The P800 R2D firmware update adds a lot of features. The problem is that it is not available yet in the United States. If you comb the Esato boards you can find a few people in the U.S. willing to flash your phone to the new version for about US$50 plus shipping, but I'd rather get it done locally and for free from a Sony Ericsson service center. This post is from the P800 board at Esato.com.
"upgrade uses up an additional 7% or so of phone memory. full-screen pix and video work as advertised so absolutely no need for 3rd party full-screen pix app. video was a bit choppy on full screen tho. maybe i should re-convert my video files. as mentioned somewhere previously, multiple video/pic files can now be selected at once for deletion. also sms delivery reports now available. picture thumbnails also appear to be a bit bigger. have yet to try the cam but it has night mode, shutter mute, delay timer and picture freeze timer."
Odds and Ends
The ringer is effectively silenced when the handsfree ear phones are plugged in because the ring tone comes through the earphones and is barely audible. The earphones (note plural) are stereo and sound excellent but the microphone in mine died today so I can hear callers but they can't hear me. I called Sony Ericsson U.S. service and they immediately dispatched a new pair.
The email is a little tough to set uo at first but not difficult. Email is handled in the messages area with SMS and MMS. You should be able to figure it out pretty quickly.
Hardware
I wish that S/// put the scroll wheel on the right hand side of the handset instead of the left, it would be easier for one-handed operation. Placing the earphone jack just above it makes matters worse leaving almost no room for your finger to operate the wheel. While I'm on the subject of the wheel, it is more intelligent than it looks. It is a five function wheel. In addition to the scroll up, down and (push) in functions, the P800 adds up and down. You can angle the wheel up or down which act as 'escape' and 'options' respectively.
I managed to crack the stylus at the little hole that locks it onto the body of the phone. Luckily the crack is only on one side of the hole, so it is still functional. Sony Ericsson thoughtfully includes three spare stylii in the box, I just swapped it out for a new one.
The Memory Stick Duo is proprietary, expensive and unavailable as of this writing. None of these is acceptable but a cost of doing business with Sony. Hopefully 128MB Memory Stick Duos (MSGM-128A) will begin shipping soon. Froogle, the referene e-Commerce site here at PowerPage HQ lists several vendors offering it for less than US$80. One company is even taking pre-orders for a replacement P800 battery that will support full size Memory Sticks instead of the smaller Duos. Conceivably, this would mean that you could install a 1GB Memory Stick Pro in your phone. Scary.
Third Party Software
There are a number of software sites where you can find Symbian software for the P800 including:
http://my-symbian.com
http://www.handango.com
http://www.mobipocket.com
My-symbian.com is the one to keep your eye on, always updated and reader reviews.
Some applications that I have been using include NutriLog a log program that helps you track what you eat. The built-in food database is customizable and based on official USDA nutrient tables. Daily totals keeps your eating in line, summer is coming.
Fuel Manager is a cool concept but it displays fuel cost per distance which is the norm in Europe. I would prefer to see miles per gallon. I would like to see a brief MPG report after each fillup like MPG for the Palm OS.
Epocware's Handy Day (US$20) gives you an overview of the daily appointments and tasks in a single view. Handy Safe (US$25) is an assistant for secure and convenient managing of sensitive data while Handy Expense is an expense tracking application that allows you to record business expenses as they occur.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 649
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Epinions.com ID:
powerpage
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Member: Jason O'Grady
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Editor and Publisher of O'Grady's PowerPage, publishing daily mobile technology news since 1996.
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