Hey guys, my SE w810i is slowly dying on me (glitchy charging, random crashes/reboots, rebooting on receiving calls, etc) and while I could get it fixed or get a new battery for it, I'd prefer to just replace it entirely since some of its features like the MP3 player just aren't as good as they claimed to be. I normally buy midrange phones, but this time I'm looking at the high end of things. The main features I'm interested in on a new phone: +WiFi +Touchscreen +QWERTY Keyboard +Plenty of message storage space +Good PC-synchronization ability +Plenty of data storage space either internally or via memory cards +Decent OS/Interface +Decent music player -No contracts/packages since I live in Ireland and the range of phones over here with 3/O2/Meteor is limited at best, while their contracts seem extortionate. An unlocked SIM-free phone would be best. And as deal-clinchers: +I'd much rather have a phone with a built-in 3.5mm headphone port - Proprietary connectors and adapters just piss me off. +A lanyard hole for putting the phone on a lanyard or chain, since I'd obviously like to keep such an expensive device safe and I just don't trust myself on that count (Not asking for much, huh?) The music-player features are important to me because I'd rather carry a single device in my pocket that can do the job of 2 devices. I really want to get something that can outdo the w810i on this front, which shouldn't be too difficult given its piss-poor audio playback with its noisy output, proprietary headphone connector, slow media player and weak EQ options.. The obvious initial choice would be the iPhone except that it lacks a hardware keyboard. I just wouldn't like using a phone that relies on its touchscreen for everything, including text input. Having used my sister's iPod Touch on occasion I've found it to be a little irksome to not have any hardware keys to press, and I'm not a fan of iTunes, so something from Apple just isn't viable for me. I've been looking at the HTC/Google G1 and the SE Xperia X1, mainly. The X1 seems to fit the bill perfectly, having everything I want and the familiarity of a Windows OS, but it's also considerably more expensive than the G1. The G1 seems like a smart choice, but Android is still a bit of an unknown quantity and the phone's menus and display seemed quite laggy in videos that I've seen online. Input/display lag on a phone is something I've become used to with my w810i, but if I'm going to spend more money on a new phone I'd like to think I can move away from that lag. I've also glanced at the HTC Touch Pro but that comes to the same price as the Xperia and has no 3.5mm audio port. Does anyone have any other recommendations for something similar? Preferably something cheaper that doesn't skimp on the crucial features too much.. Sorry for the lengthy post, and thanks for any suggestions!
I have an HTC Touch Diamond (the pro without the expansion slot and keyboard basically) and would avoid it like the plague for what you want. That probably applies to the Pro as well. If it were me, I would go for the xperia but they would both be good I think. The are both made by HTC so both have a good oem. If you were to go for the xperia, bear in mind it has a higher resolution screen (about double I think) than the G1 which is good for internet and general usage but does tend to tax the phone more so may lead to a shorter battery life or lag - going back to my Diamond, the battery lasts 2 days of mid-use, getting email all the time, and the phone does get sluggish after a bit. Also, it is unlikely to be able to play videos at the full resolution of the screen.
The ideal situation would be to try out the models in question in-person but trying to find them over here is an exercise in futility. I'm not too concerned about video playback, I've never really seen the appeal of watching any video media on a screen small enough to fit in a pocket anyway. Thanks for the great feedback, very helpful!
i was going to suggest the iPhone 3G jailbroken and unlocked, but seeing you are not very happy with the iPod touch, i would personally go for G1, i am deeply interested in the Andriod platform, and i think it has great potential.
Just an update for anyone considering the X1, I got one on eBay going cheap from someone who got theirs as a free upgrade at work. I've been using it for a week now, and while the QWERTY keyboard and some of WinMo's quirks took a bit of getting used to, I love it. The combination of a full touchscreen and hardware buttons + keyboard means it's about as flexible for input & control as I could ask for. The dedicated 3.5mm headphone socket is the boon I hoped it'd be, too.
