Archived copy of A Swedish wolf in Norway

• Date: 2008-12-18 14:12:07
• Name: Rijk

That's a good idea. I've still got an old P900, but it's screen is broken after having dropped it too often... A used P1i seems to cost at least 150 euros though in the Netherlands, that's not pocket change.

• Date: 2008-12-18 15:12:42
• Name: huxr

I hope you'll blog about your (new) experiences with the (old) P1. I may then benefit from that. :)

I am in a half-similar situation as you. The similar part: I've been considering buying a UIQ Sony Ericsson for a while now, P1 being very sympathetic in many aspects (and G900 too, despite the lack of QWERTY). (The non-similar: not having any UIQ experience yet.) But the killing of UIQ and the lack of updates even in its heyday made me unsure.

An alternative option for me would be a Nokia E series phone (e.g. an ugly-colored but decently functional E63, or a stylish and all-feature-bearig E71).

But with P1 (or G900) there would be a problem for me: the lack of EDGE support. I'm on the net all the time (currently on my SE K550, with Opera Mini and some IM apps), and even though at home maybe I would use the heavily battery-consuming Wi-Fi (but would not be forced to use that), I wouldn't want to be on the also power-hungry 3G while on the move, and GPRS is just too slow. (Also, I hear rumors that P1's Wi-Fi is not a very good quality one, G900 being better and supporting 802.11g also, not just b).

The only thing against those Nokias is that I don't know if Opera Mobile will be released for them too.

Anyhow, please share with us your experiences with your new phone, be it a P1 or anything else.

• Date: 2008-12-18 16:12:48
• Name: huxr

Update:

The new Nokia 5800 XpressMusic seems very tempting for me, as a great multimedia player / internet phone with big screen. (I sometimes enjoy some TV series episodes on my brother's PSP, and this Nokia phone has just a bit smaller screen but larger resolution. I would like it if I had a portable video player like a PSP or an Archos, but I don't really like closed systems where users cannot install new applications. And getting a new phone and a media player at the same time would be too expensive for me now.)

The only thing I don't know is how good is this Nokia's touch capability, especially for text input. It has handwriting recognition, but would it be a true alternative to QWERTY hardware keyboards? I'll probably wait for some detailed reviews and then go to a shop to try that and other phones before deciding.

A medium-sized retailer chain in Hungary now advertises Nokia 5800 for around €375 (base price plus 20% VAT), promises availability after 30 December.

The Nokia E71 is offered for €333, and the E63 is €258, VAT included. The Sony Ericsson P1i is sold for €290 and the G900 for €310.

All prices are for original retail packages, with 2 year manufacturer's warranty. I would hardly consider opting for a used phone or a "new remarketed" (aka, grey market) phone with no warranty or just a few moths. Phones are delicate gadgets, and I use mine quite a lot, pushing it to its durability limits. :) Especially the input capabilities, because I browse a lot. I also want to write much more text than I usually do on my SE K550i because it is too slow and cumbersome for longer texts. Some keys are already starting to wear out after a full year of usage. The # key of my phone is in the worst condition, sometimes it does not work. I guess Sony Ericsson didn't design it with Opera Mini in mind. ;)

Anyway, Opera Mobile would be a killer app on a Nokia 5800, and I think (and hope) Opera cannot afford not being on such a flagship model - as a matter of prestige, at least. Nokia 5800 has the chance to be the best and most open iPhone-killer, if it turns out that it really lives up to the hype.