Tuesday, October 30, 2007 Limpag: New Sony Ericsson phone By Max Limpag Celltalk
TURBO 3G. Sony Ericsson released several new phones recently and one really stood out for me, the Sony Ericsson K630 (see photo).
The phone comes with mobile broadband or HSDPA connectivity, what the company calls "turbo 3G" because it offers connection speeds several times faster than 3G. I went over the features listed in the press statement and I couldn’t help but drool. I still have the ancient K750i, which serves me with all my communications needs, but only a few of my wants. I had initially decided on upgrading to the K800 series after trying out my wife’s phone, but after reading about the K630, I’m having second thoughts.
The phone comes with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, which “gives you the possibility to mirror your PC/laptop inbox, look out for urgent e-mails and write quick responses,” the company said. I don’t know how this service performs, but I’ve largely been satisfied with the Java application offered by Google for its Gmail for mobile application. But if this service approximates the e-mail alerts you get when using a Blackberry, then this might be a good one to try. The K630’s specifications list “push e-mail” as among its key features. It also supports Yahoo, Hotmail, and Gmail as shortcuts.
PC-LIKE. The company said that the new phone, which will be marketed as the K630i in the Asia-Pacific region, will provide a PC-like Web surfing experience in mobile phones. I don’t know about the validity of this claim, but I have always thought that marketer’s penchant to make mobile browsing “PC-like” as ill-advised. Maybe in terms of speed, but the experience of using the Internet on a mobile device is entirely different from using it on a PC. The phone offers “desktop widgets,” animated icons that give you quick access to favorite web sites. The phone also has support for RSS feeds, which you can use to monitor the latest news updates and articles in your favorite websites. The K630i, as with most new phones today, is also a digital media player. It can play digital audio files like MP3 songs and digital video files like Mp4 clips. It comes with a 256MB Memory Stick Micro or M2 that is expandable up to four gigabytes. The phone also comes with a dedicated music key to control the player. The phone also comes with an integrated 2-megapixel camera, which is enough for daily point-and-shoot photography. My Sony Ericsson K750i also comes with just a 2-megapixel camera, but I have been able to use it extensively for taking photos for my blog.
MOBILE WORKHORSE. Martin Winkler, head of web marketing at Sony Ericsson, said in a press statement that the K630 is the perfect tool for managing your day-to-day agenda and keeping up with e-mail. He said “it is much more than a work-horse. It is the perfect companion for those ‘down-time’ moments, such as waiting for a train, where listening to music, or watching a video can make time go that bit faster.” The phone is expected to be available by the end of the year.
