Strategic shopping.

January 5, 2007 7:31 AM

My cell phone is on the fritz (it spontaneously powers off half the time and only powers on with considerable effort--it's three years old) and I'm going traveling in a week and a half. I need a phone. Like now. Do I go ahead and pick up the Sony W810i today, or wait for an announcement from apple. There are a few Sony's available in my area today, though they tend to go quick.
posted by sourwookie to technology (10 comments total)

I've used the W810i since last April or so -- unlocked so I just slip in new SIM cards to wherever I travel. It's quad-band, so you'll be good to go pretty much anywhere in the world save South Korea and Japan, which (to my knowledge at least) don't have any GSM providers.

It's a great little phone. I don't use the music feature much since I have an iPod too, and I don't really use the camera often either. But the size and style is great, and I find the Sony user interface quite intuitive and responsive.
posted by modernnomad at 7:44 AM on January 5, 2007

Oh, and since you are waiting for an announcement from Apple, I should add that the w810i syncs nicely over bluetooth with my address book and ical on OS X, and you can download a plugin that will allow you to sync it with itunes if you so desire. You can also download a theme to make it look like OS X "mobile".

It's actually hard for me to think of what Apple could bring to the table (other than making the interface for the music use the clickwheel, which would definitely be better) than what the w810 already offers.
posted by modernnomad at 7:48 AM on January 5, 2007

The itunes plugin may have been the deal-breaker (I am OS X).
posted by sourwookie at 7:51 AM on January 5, 2007

I have a w810i as well and it's pretty cool. The camera is not too bad (although there are better ones around now) and the music features are OK and only marred by the fact that once you have created a playlist there is no way to edit it (e.g. add/remove tracks, change the order) - this is somewhere where Apple could add a lot of useful functions. If you mostly only listen to albums though this isn't a problem since it's easy enough to navigate Artist > Album > Play.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 7:53 AM on January 5, 2007

when's the last time you cleaned the battery contacts? you get a little lint in there, it gives you a bad contact, and you end up with exactly what you're describing.
posted by sonofslim at 7:59 AM on January 5, 2007

Join the club and wait. I have been nursing my Treo along for over a year now. You will inevitably be so much happier. I think.
posted by bkeene12 at 8:25 AM on January 5, 2007

Well, one thing to keep in mind is that these devices need FCC approval before they are sold in the US, and devices going through that process are viewable by the public. So, we would have seen the Apple phone if it was shipping on the day of Macworld. I don't know how long the approval process would take even if they announce it next week, but if you need a phone now, get a beater off ebay or just get the SE and take good care of it (or any phone with good resale value) and put it on ebay when the Apple phone finally comes out.
posted by lovejones at 8:43 AM on January 5, 2007

The itunes plugin may have been the deal-breaker (I am OS X).

Sorry, perhaps I am misunderstanding you -- you mean that because the w810 DOES sync with itunes but only through a plugin rather than natively, you won't consider it?
posted by modernnomad at 8:51 AM on January 5, 2007

No, I am greatful for any syncing with iTunes. I find the existance of such a plugin to be good news.
posted by sourwookie at 9:35 AM on January 5, 2007

Waiting for an announcement from apple? People have been waiting for that announcement for about 8 years. Don't hold your breath. If they did release a iPhoneTunePodThing, what makes you so sure the 1st generation will be usable? What makes you think you could even get your hands on one?

Just my opinion. I'm not saying there won't be an iTunePodPhoneThing, I just think I'd wait till I see the ad on TV before even thinking about one.
posted by chairface at 11:51 AM on January 5, 2007