Unified entertainment
Why carry two devices when one does the job just fine? That’s the logic of Sony Ericsson’s Walkman and Nokia’s XpressMusic phones.
If the iphone 3G feels a tad pricey for these “difficult” times, here are a couple of prime contenders to consider.
Sony Ericsson W705i
For Rs 16,800 this is a very good phone. A few foibles and the camera could be better, but it looks smart and the music playback on the device is excellent. You don’t usually end up praising gear that comes with the sales kit, but even the in-ear buds that come with the W705 are surprisingly good.
The handset’s biggest problem, however, is not of its own making. Sony Ericsson’s software suite is painful and transferring music through Media Manager is irritating, particularly if you have a slightly slower computer (you risk intermittent crashes). The PC-connectivity software ruins a perfectly decent device. And then there is another irritation—you cannot change the memory card on the fly. But when all is said and done, this is still a good-looking device with excellent playback—we’ll give it a B.
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic
This is Nokia’s first major foray into touch to take on the might of the iPhone (though they did have the old Nokia 6708 which was a great phone back in the day). But let’s be clear here—the 5800 ain’t no iPhone. In fact, it ain’t no iPhone killer either. What it is, is a device that surprises you with its functionalities.
As a music player, it could do with some touching up—song changes are sometimes accompanied by noise and the device does not have the intuitive touch-feel of the iPhone. But once you’re into it, you do get used to the slightly clunky nature of the music software. Transferring music onto the device is a breeze, Nokia Music Manager is relatively easy to use and you can swap out your memory cards while the phone is on.
But the device’s biggest plus is that it is a very nice phone. Battery life is excellent, web surfing on its large screen is smooth and the overall experience of living with the device is pretty nice. But it costs Rs 19,500. More than the W705, but worth it. But we’ll give this a B+ because we know Nokia can do better.
For Rs 16,800 this is a very good phone. A few foibles and the camera could be better, but it looks smart and the music playback on the device is excellent. You don’t usually end up praising gear that comes with the sales kit, but even the in-ear buds that come with the W705 are surprisingly good.
The handset’s biggest problem, however, is not of its own making. Sony Ericsson’s software suite is painful and transferring music through Media Manager is irritating, particularly if you have a slightly slower computer (you risk intermittent crashes). The PC-connectivity software ruins a perfectly decent device. And then there is another irritation—you cannot change the memory card on the fly. But when all is said and done, this is still a good-looking device with excellent playback—we’ll give it a B.
This is Nokia’s first major foray into touch to take on the might of the iPhone (though they did have the old Nokia 6708 which was a great phone back in the day). But let’s be clear here—the 5800 ain’t no iPhone. In fact, it ain’t no iPhone killer either. What it is, is a device that surprises you with its functionalities.
As a music player, it could do with some touching up—song changes are sometimes accompanied by noise and the device does not have the intuitive touch-feel of the iPhone. But once you’re into it, you do get used to the slightly clunky nature of the music software. Transferring music onto the device is a breeze, Nokia Music Manager is relatively easy to use and you can swap out your memory cards while the phone is on.
But the device’s biggest plus is that it is a very nice phone. Battery life is excellent, web surfing on its large screen is smooth and the overall experience of living with the device is pretty nice. But it costs Rs 19,500. More than the W705, but worth it. But we’ll give this a B+ because we know Nokia can do better.
