vB Easy Archive - M600i One Day Impressions

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M600i One Day Impressions
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Posted by: gsibble

I got my M600i yesterday and have been using it constantly since. I immediately updated the firmware before I even put in my SIM so I don't know about the original firmware. So far, it's pretty damn nice! It can be a little slow, but only if the application isn't already open. For that reason, I always make sure that the contacts and messaging apps are open. It's plenty fast then. I was used to a 7105 before which could be slow as hell at times so I don't mind so much.

In any case, the phone is very sexy. The screen looks INCREDIBLE and the different applications merge pretty well. UIQ 3 is looking very very nice. Unfortunately, I completely agree with another poster that the one handed operation without a stylus wasn't really completed. It's about 1/3 of the way to where it needs to be. You can't even answer the phone without touching the screen! I've resorted to just touching it with my fingers which is ok but not preferred. When the screen is on though, you can't even see the fingerprints so its not that bad.

Getting Exchange Activesync working was a PITA. SE doesn't include the CA certificates for Equifax or GeoTrust which provide our SSL certificate where I work. I had to find them and install them in order to get ActiveSync working. But now it works great!

Honestly though, how could they not include the capability to view exchange folders? I sort everything into folders almost immediately when I get the messages and now I can't access them at all! It feels like the exchange activesync software is more of a gimmick than anything else. Not fully implemented yet.

The only workaround I can think of is setting up my same account with IMAP and accessing the folders that way. It'll be annoying, but it'll work.

I'm going to use it for a week or so and then post a longer review with pictures. I was a crackberry addict before so I hope to give some insight to the transition.

-G

Posted by: plessdude

This is a perfect case study in a first generation product that is just not ready for primetime. SE positioning this as a business device is so far off the mark I really have to wonder if their focus groups are just people who own a p800 or p900. Slap a camera on this phone...have it available in pink, and target teenagers who are looking for their first cheap smartphone.

Posted by: BillB

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsibble

Honestly though, how could they not include the capability to view exchange folders? I sort everything into folders almost immediately when I get the messages and now I can't access them at all! It feels like the exchange activesync software is more of a gimmick than anything else. Not fully implemented yet.

Question: Is that really the fault of SE or Roadsync? I mean, can Windows Mobile devices sync sub-folders? If no, then it is an MS activesync isue.

AFAIK, none of the smart phones or PPC phones are launched "ready for prime time". In the case of SE, going back to the P800, there has always been a lot of over-promising and under-delivering...

Posted by: plessdude

I think that WM5 devices sync subfolders.

Posted by: gsibble

Quote:

Originally Posted by plessdude

I think that WM5 devices sync subfolders.

They do. And it's really roadsync's fault not SE. But SE promised ActiveSync and this is only a half implementation of it IMHO.

As a phone, this thing is really starting to kick ***. It blows the BB 7105 out of the water! Still, it feels only 2/3 complete. Hopefully more firmware updates will make the phone that much better.

Posted by: tkao2025

I'm getting mine tomorrow....can't wait. The only thing that've read so far that's got me worried is the fact that it doesn't have a dedicated call and end button. I wonder how I'll get use to that.

Other than that, I've always liked UIQ. I find them better implemented than series 60. I'm wondering when they will release the BB connect for this thing as well??

gsibble when you say it is 2/3 complete what do you mean by that? Do you mean you still get crashes once in awhile? Other than that I'm glad you like the device.

Posted by: gsibble

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkao2025

I'm getting mine tomorrow....can't wait. The only thing that've read so far that's got me worried is the fact that it doesn't have a dedicated call and end button. I wonder how I'll get use to that.

Other than that, I've always liked UIQ. I find them better implemented than series 60. I'm wondering when they will release the BB connect for this thing as well??

gsibble when you say it is 2/3 complete what do you mean by that? Do you mean you still get crashes once in awhile? Other than that I'm glad you like the device.

What I meant is that there are things that shouldn't be there that aren't:

-Answering the phone without touching the screen
-Unlocking the keys without touching the screen
-Can't change the key lock time
-Can't change ANY times (backlight dimming, screen saver start, etc.)
-No BBConnect yet
-Exchange ActiveSync stopping working every few hours and requiring a restart

Mostly just the customization and the one handed operation with the scroll wheel isn't there. I don't understand why they didn't do some things like answering with the scroll wheel. It's so simple!! It's still a great phone, but only 2/3 done.

To put it simply, I would say you get about 10-25% of the functionality from the scroll wheel compared to that of a blackberry. Half of the time, when you push it in, it doesn't even do anything! They just slapped it on there really.

Posted by: Indighost

^ After 24 hours with the device, I agree.

I'm letting a lot ride on the firmware upgrades, but there's only so much firmware can do; it seems a lot like someone forgot to throw two (or 3?) softkeys.

The only saving grace to one-handedness will be to have the jog-dial scroll to select the 'softscreen' buttons. This will improve the functionality in spades.

Posted by: plessdude

I gave up and sold the phone. If the P990 is anything like this then SE might as well get out of the Smartphone business. I know this is a strong opinion for a first generation product but there are issues with the m600 that go way beyond the OS and firmware updates.

Posted by: shaolinmonk

Quote:

Originally Posted by plessdude

I gave up and sold the phone. If the P990 is anything like this then SE might as well get out of the Smartphone business. I know this is a strong opinion for a first generation product but there are issues with the m600 that go way beyond the OS and firmware updates.

what was you issue? i've been using it for a few days now and think it's great i don't see it being a primetime BB competitor... but an excellent update to the dated p900 series.

battery life is solid
screen is great
rf is great
touchscreen is responsive
keypad is great
UI is fast and fairly stable.. i get minor crashes here and there
(but i'm a cellphone/pda user... not an email junky)

only thing i would have wanted was the 5 way jog dial.. not a fan of the stripped down 3 way

i would compare it to a treo 650 but think the uiq is more verstile in multitasking but the dpad on the treo makes it handle a bit better

Posted by: plessdude

Funny how two people can have completely different opinons on a phone.

1. Battery life very average especially if you have Exchange sync installed
2. Screen is below average in sunlight
3. Touchscreen I agree with you here. But is it a benefit that the touch screen works like it is supposed to?
3. Keypad is great although they are missing a few buttons that would have changed everything.
4. UI on my phone which I updated to world release 2 was buggy, slow, and crashed three or four times a day. I really think that UIQ 3.0 is pretty but needs major work when it comes to speed and one handed use.

I would compare this to a p910 way before a Treo 650. Yes the Treo lacks multitasking but have just about everything else going for it. I really wanted the m600 to be a good phone for me. It has the size and weight advantage over everything else I have used. Maybe SE will get it right the next time around.

Posted by: shaolinmonk

Quote:

Originally Posted by plessdude

Funny how two people can have completely different opinons on a phone.

1. Battery life very average especially if you have Exchange sync installed
2. Screen is below average in sunlight
3. Touchscreen I agree with you here. But is it a benefit that the touch screen works like it is supposed to?
3. Keypad is great although they are missing a few buttons that would have changed everything.
4. UI on my phone which I updated to world release 2 was buggy, slow, and crashed three or four times a day. I really think that UIQ 3.0 is pretty but needs major work when it comes to speed and one handed use.

I would compare this to a p910 way before a Treo 650. Yes the Treo lacks multitasking but have just about everything else going for it. I really wanted the m600 to be a good phone for me. It has the size and weight advantage over everything else I have used. Maybe SE will get it right the next time around.

well i think we're 2 very different users... which would explain why.

1)battery life improves over time.. did you have it long enough to go through the power cycles? (just asking) i don;t know email stuff.. exhange is done 2 ways right? via gprs and datacable. if you got it in the cable should it not also be charging?

2)hmm.. seems perfectly fine in the sunlight to me.. similar to most cellphones i've used recently. I cannot comment on how it compares to a bb8700r or e61 though. played with the e61 but not in the sunlight.

3)i rarely use the stylus, so when i say the touchscreen is good i mean it responds well to my fingers.. which not all phones do imo.

4)hmm..i think we're tinkering in 2 different spots. where are you getting slowdowns?
my mail seems fine (but all text messaged about 300 to date)
navigation and multitasking was fine.. a little wap, a little music, running through the setups

(were you using r1b?)

5)see the only thing i like about the treo is the dpad which is why i compared it to that.

i think we're just 2 very different users.. video, music, themes, running some odd ball apps, mainly use it as a phone/organizer and all those components work for me.

Posted by: Wrk_InProgress

Quote:

Originally Posted by plessdude

3. Keypad is great although they are missing a few buttons that would have changed everything.

Enter the P990.

Posted by: megaphone

if i were to purchase one of these, cause my old phone is on its way out, where could i download the SE firmware updates from? i looked at their UK page for the M600i and didn't see any updates listed.

Posted by: shaolinmonk

Quote:

Originally Posted by megaphone

if i were to purchase one of these, cause my old phone is on its way out, where could i download the SE firmware updates from? i looked at their UK page for the M600i and didn't see any updates listed.

the online update will support the phone. i think they haven't updated the webpages yet.. but the latest firmware is available on SEUS

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wrk_InProgress

Enter the P990.

adds camera, t9 and all that other jazz

Posted by: megaphone

is there a WIKI or FAQ on SEUS?

Posted by: shaolinmonk

Quote:

Originally Posted by megaphone

is there a WIKI or FAQ on SEUS?

umm.. maybe.. but this is all you need to know.

go to sonyericsson and download their update tool for an SE phone.
pick w800i for example

install and run the new app.. it will download the latest version

walkthrough the wizard and that's it 15-20 mins phone will be updated

Posted by: skagen

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsibble

What I meant is that there are things that shouldn't be there that aren't:

-Answering the phone without touching the screen
-Unlocking the keys without touching the screen
-Can't change the key lock time
-Can't change ANY times (backlight dimming, screen saver start, etc.)
-No BBConnect yet
-Exchange ActiveSync stopping working every few hours and requiring a restart

Mostly just the customization and the one handed operation with the scroll wheel isn't there. I don't understand why they didn't do some things like answering with the scroll wheel. It's so simple!! It's still a great phone, but only 2/3 done.

To put it simply, I would say you get about 10-25% of the functionality from the scroll wheel compared to that of a blackberry. Half of the time, when you push it in, it doesn't even do anything! They just slapped it on there really.

I dont have this phone but I'm considering it. I know what you mean here in general.

Sometimes a lot of these smart phones do not seem to have gone through even an elementaty common sense user ergonomics review. And there are people at all these companies who get paid A LOT OF MONEY and have fancy job titles to just this.

So where are they when these phones are developed? On vacation? It doesnt make any sense. If you are going to put out a product just do it right - you actually would get more customers....

Posted by: plessdude

Yes I agree. I use my phone as a mobile office. The m600 just couldnt cut it for that application.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaolinmonk

Posted by: gsibble

Quote:

Originally Posted by plessdude

Yes I agree. I use my phone as a mobile office. The m600 just couldnt cut it for that application.

I'm starting to agree. I think this is a great phone but it's not entirely there yet. Coming from a BB7105 which had 8+ years of software development behind it, the M600i doesn't really compare. Sad considering how much I really like it

As for battery life, I sync with Exchange every 5 minutes (I have to, that's what this phone is for!) and I BARELY get 24 hours out of it. Push will help with that but my IT director isn't very interested in installing SP2.

Posted by: shaolinmonk

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsibble

i think you're expecting too much if you want it to replace a BB at this point..like you guys say... it's way to raw..
the newer bb's with the nicer screen the 8700r... what's the average battery life on those?

Posted by: gsibble

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaolinmonk

I SHOULDN'T be expecting too much though. This is a "next generation" smartphone that I paid $600 for! If they advertise that it can't sync exchange and support all kinds of features, than it damn well better be able to support it! Screw it being "raw" or otherwise. If they are going to market the device that way, it needs to be able to do the SIMPLE things.

Sorry, I'm really mad because I just had to restart it twice in 20 minutes. Once because it wouldn't ring no matter what and the second time because ActiveSync wouldn't connect to the godamn internet. Web worked fine!?

I love this device. I love its form factor; I love its screen; I love its capabilities. But DAMN does it NOT provide the features that its supposed to. No wonder Blackberry has such a stranglehold on the enterprise market. If this is the best anyone else can come up with, BB is gonna kick *** for a long time to come.

Posted by: shaolinmonk

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsibble

lol... wow that's too bad... the fate of early adopters... this is why the p990 isn't out yet.. let the pawns go first...

Posted by: plessdude

I tried to warn you guys

. Sell it quick cause once the word gets out this puppy is going to be really cheap.

Posted by: shaolinmonk

Quote:

Originally Posted by plessdude

I tried to warn you guys

. Sell it quick cause once the word gets out this puppy is going to be really cheap.

honestly i don't see it dropping that much in price... of course $600 is a lot to pay... this phone will level off in the 350-400 price range in USD i'd say..

it's still a touchscreen phone and a sony product and we all know sony products hold their value... even if it's overpriced.

i'm loving the device..but like i said i'm a different user.. i wish they threw in a cam.. even 1.3 with auto and this would replace my w810 lol...but for now i'm holding on to both to see which one i like more...

Posted by: Indighost

As for one-handed key-lock (and unlock, for that matter), just hold the 'back' button and you're set. It's not instantaneous, but it sure beats pulling the stylus out... from the LEFT side for that matter!

Still keeping my fingers crossed for enhanced jog-dial versatility--ie answering calls and hanging them up!

Posted by: AntonisCy

does anyone know which the "C" button on this phone is for sure? (its asked during firmware update)

Posted by: Wrk_InProgress

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indighost

Still keeping my fingers crossed for enhanced jog-dial versatility--ie answering calls and hanging them up!

I can't say for certain if SE will include this feature in future firmware upgrades but IIRC there was a program available for UIQ 2.0 that allowed you to map any hardware button to specific phone related tasks like dialing/answering calls and such. If I can remember the name of the company, I'll post the link (maybe then someone can contact them to see if they are going to be releasing a UIQ3 version)

I'd like to think that the M600i will be able to get some better hard-key support without the use of third party software.

It appears that the P990's QWERTY keypad has a dedicated phone button of some kind .....

Posted by: Wrk_InProgress

Quote:

Originally Posted by AntonisCy

does anyone know which the "C" button on this phone is for sure? (its asked during firmware update)

It's the actual letter "C"

Posted by: AntonisCy

are you sure? because a lot of people say its the side button... Please let me know if you are sure

Posted by: shaolinmonk

it is the actual "C"

Posted by: hidefguy2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indighost

As for one-handed key-lock (and unlock, for that matter), just hold the 'back' button and you're set. It's not instantaneous, but it sure beats pulling the stylus out... from the LEFT side for that matter!

Are all you guys left-handed..? The reason that the Blackberry has the jog wheel on the right side is because most people are righties - the M600 feels very strange after having used a BB for so long now. I think having a left side jog wheel is a huge mistake on the M600, since stylus use is likely not going to be the main usage pattern for most people..

Posted by: gsibble

Quote:

Originally Posted by hidefguy2

I've figured that one out. I had a blackberry for 3 years and was severely addicted so I know what you mean.

The M600i is designed to be used by the stylus when you'd really be using the scroll wheel. I actually feel more comfortable scrolling with my left and using the stylus with my right. Once you get used to it it makes more sense. The only REALLY annoying thing is that I like to keep the phone in my right pocket......so I have to take out the phone with my right hand, switch it to my left (and switch whatever I'm carrying to my right). Gets confusing......

Posted by: Wrk_InProgress

Quote:

Originally Posted by hidefguy2

I think I must have really, really, big hands and fat fingers.

With a P900, I was able to use it rather easily with just one-hand (operating both the jogdail and the front keypad). I am right handed but found that I was able to operate it as well with my left hand or my right hand.

With my right hand, my index finger went around the back of the device and operated the scroll wheel. When I needed to use the keypad, my index finger would slide "back" and rest behind the phone and my thumb would operate the keypad (just like I would with a normal candybar).

With my left hand, my thumb was able to operate the the jogdail and then slide back and forth to the keypad.

I didn't use a P900 for very long but I found that it was rather easy to master it with both hands and I use the left hand for certain occasions and the right for others.

I haven't touched the M600i yet so I can't comment on the new 3D JogDial and the back button.

Posted by: Harleydog

Here is my opinion on the matter. I have had the bb 8700, m600 and e61, the bb was an interim phone until these other two devices became available. I do not like bb, it has huge limitations and is purely an email device. I refused to use it as a phone as reception was questionable as well as speaker volume, so i used a nokia n70 as the phone component.
The Nokia e61 and M600 are two great alternatives, and the verdict is out on which one i like better. the form factor and key pad of the m600 is great, considering size. since bothe devices have a form of active sync, i can interchange them without problems. right now th e61 has a small edge as its quad bandm, but no touch screen is an issue for one handed use.

Just not sure where i stand on this.

Posted by: hidefguy2

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsibble

I agree, it's definitely not a "Blackberry Killer", but the small form factor and potential is good. I can now see why SE is spending time getting the W950 right, because that has the potential to hit the market bigtime.

Posted by: manchuia

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harleydog

right now th e61 has a small edge as its quad bandm, but no touch screen is an issue for one handed use.

I have never had a touchscreen phone (I have a big enough problems with candybar format and calling my entire phonebook), but I wanted to know how adding touch screen adds to one handed use. I figure it would hinder it as you have to hold the device (one hand) and touch the screen (other hand).

Wouldn't lack of touch screen, then, be better (all the menus are designed for use with joystick / dpad)?

Posted by: skagen

Quote:

Originally Posted by manchuia

I have never had a touchscreen phone (I have a big enough problems with candybar format and calling my entire phonebook), but I wanted to know how adding touch screen adds to one handed use. I figure it would hinder it as you have to hold the device (one hand) and touch the screen (other hand).
Wouldn't lack of touch screen, then, be better (all the menus are designed for use with joystick / dpad)?

Bo you hold it and use the thumb of same hand to navigate. I some times even type (letter recognition) with that same thumb. Not that hard at all.

Posted by: kamranwpi

Does this M600i or P990 have EDGE. I know they have 3G, but T-Mobile isn't going 3G any time soon in the USA. So that doesn't do us any good for the time being. But I do have EDGE here w/ T-Mobile. Please tell me if it has EDGE, then I will buy it else it's a waste of time on GPRS. Especially with Exchange.
Also can any one compre it w/ Nokia E61? I have E61 and love everything about it except few things, i hate that it doesn't allow copy/paste when you are in web browser, also I can't hear a call waiting warning when I use my bluetooth headset.
Other than that it's quite stabel and out performing phone. Thanks in advance.

Posted by: RxistKJ

I have the E61 and the M600i and have only used the M600i for the past several days (on TMO Bay Area).
--E61 has EDGE whereas the M600i only has GPRS
--E61's Mail for Exchange client is far more stable than M600i Dataviz Exchange ActiveSync (see the M600i bug list http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=934398)
--I want to test the M600i's A2DP profile support but have read about the BT problems with headsets and am reluctant to purchase BT stereo headphones

Basically, to sum up my personal preference, I would like to see the E61 Mail for Exchange software on my M600i which actually would make this a strong e-mail device with solid multimeda functionality. If the M600i Exchange software isn't updated soon, my M600i is going on eBay.

Posted by: kamranwpi

How is the internet compare to E61, I imagine it will be slow too since it doesn't have EDGE.
I dlo love Exchange client on E61. It's pretty awesome, much better than T-Mobile MDA.

Posted by: RxistKJ

I had the MDA for a couple about 1 day before I decided WM5 was too buggy and TMO level 2 support told me they didn't support OTA Exchange Activesync! I also didn't like having to slide the keyboard down to type an e-mail--difficult with one hand.

Actually, the M600i web browser isn't bad but I miss the E61's zoom function and wifi option.

One other thing I noticed is that on the E61 the $6 T-Zones GPRS plan was enough while the M600i requires the $20 plan.

As much as I love the form factor of the M600i, I have a feeling I'm going to sell it unless Sony/DataViz release some updates soon.

Posted by: kamranwpi

There is a way to get the exchange over the air working MDA, but the problem w/ MDA is that it will not let any phone calls come in while it's "ALWAYS ON" with EXCHANGE. Where E61 is quite smart in that sense you don't miss call this way, but if you are on a phone w/ Bluetooth Headset you sure miss alot of fone calls..
I want to try M600i, but when I see no EDGE, I don't like that . EDGE is important w/ EXCHANGE client. Atleast 4 me where I do alot of things on my cell phone.

Posted by: skagen

Quote:

Originally Posted by RxistKJ

I have the E61 and the M600i and have only used the M600i for the past several days (on TMO Bay Area).
--E61 has EDGE whereas the M600i only has GPRS.

Specs for M600i says:
* Dual Mode UMTS 2100 MHz, triple band GPRS 900/1800/1900MHz

Its a 3G phone full fledged. Dont paint it as somehow inferior. If the network is not availble in your area becuase your phone company chose not to provide it, that is another story. But people in Sweden for instance do not use this as a mere GPRS phone.

Posted by: Kanon

Nice discussion here. But I wanna know how well does the M600i bluetooth works and has anyone tried the AD2P (such as listening music)?

Posted by: RxistKJ

Quote:

Originally Posted by skagen

Read the post above mine and you will see I'm not painting this as an inferior phone but rather responding to a Boston TMO user who was inquiring about EDGE support considering he lives in the USA, not Sweden.

I would love to live in Sweden and have 3G support on this phone but alas I am in the Bay Area, as noted in my post.

BTW, the E61 has 850/900/1800/1900/2100 WCDMA (3G) and wifi so, technically speaking, from a bandwidth support frequency, the M600i is inferior.

Posted by: megaphone

Quote:

Originally Posted by RxistKJ

I had the MDA for a couple about 1 day before I decided WM5 was too buggy and TMO level 2 support told me they didn't support OTA Exchange Activesync! I also didn't like having to slide the keyboard down to type an e-mail--difficult with one hand.

Actually, the M600i web browser isn't bad but I miss the E61's zoom function and wifi option.

One other thing I noticed is that on the E61 the $6 T-Zones GPRS plan was enough while the M600i requires the $20 plan.

As much as I love the form factor of the M600i, I have a feeling I'm going to sell it unless Sony/DataViz release some updates soon.

why won't the M600 support WAP/TZones? can you provide more insight?

thanks
-matt

Posted by: RxistKJ

Matt,

Good question--unfortunately I don't have an answer. When I spoke with the TMO customer service Rep. and told him the apparent difference between the E61 and M600i and the ability to access my exchange server with only a $6 T-Zones account, his reply was "it's not supposed to work". I then asked him if anything was done on their back end that could differentiate between the 2 and he did not know.

Chances are I'm going to switch back to my E61 as it's software is far more stable. When I do, I'll try the $6 plan again.

Posted by: Kanon

I wanna know whwther M600i can support M2 > 1gig? I know that the largest capacity is 1gig atm but when they make 2 gig or greater, would the phone recognize it?

Posted by: SupraTT

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kanon

I wanna know whwther M600i can support M2 > 1gig? I know that the largest capacity is 1gig atm but when they make 2 gig or greater, would the phone recognize it?

ofc, the limit of m2 cards is 34 or 36 Gb I think and the phone will support the max limit aswell(34/36 Gb), that is the magic with MS slots!

Posted by: Kanon

Quote:

Originally Posted by SupraTT

ofc, the limit of m2 cards is 34 or 36 Gb I think and the phone will support the max limit aswell(34/36 Gb), that is the magic with MS slots!

Sweet~ I just got myself a 1gig M2 card. Do you know when will the bigger card come out?

Posted by: skagen

Quote:

Originally Posted by RxistKJ

All fine and well and good. Hey it doesnt have analog and GSM 450 either. They shoudl have put that in too just to take care of dinosaurs?

I'm saying is dont write posts that have people thinking this phone is only GPRS - its not. Its a 3G phone which is not just in Swedem but present in all of Europe - for ages ago. Its your network that is deficient and doesn't have 3G and choses to stick with a slower older technology.

Posted by: RxistKJ

Quote:

Originally Posted by skagen

Skagen--try reading my initial post and stop wasting everyone's time. When you learn how to read (and write for that matter) and stop insulting others, then post again.

Posted by: sscooterme

im using t mo US and have t zones working. Also configured email (pop 3) using earthlink and t mo server settings (via SE website ota plus some manual username and password tweeks) Works great. I push emails every 10 minutes all day long without a hitch ( except battery drain). I love this phone enought to leave my blackberry home most days now.

Posted by: Kman79

I got T-Mobile's WAP/Tzones working via Sony Ericsson website configurator. Also have MMS working. I have my roadrunner pop3 email account working on the phone, checking every 20 minutes and that works fine too. I wouldn't consider myself an office power user, so I think this phone is good for me for now. I just leave contacts, messaging running in the background and the today screen up, and its plenty quick for me.

I was wondering if someone could tell me how to I install themes on the phone. I downloaded it from SE to the phone and it's in my documents folder. It has an extension .dd but the phone doesnt know what to do with it. If anyone could help me with this, I would really appreciate it, thanks.

Posted by: Kman79

Quote:

Originally Posted by megaphone

why won't the M600 support WAP/TZones? can you provide more insight?

thanks
-matt

If you still need help configuring it for WAP or Tzones go here on Sony Ericsson's Site

http://www.sonyericsson.com/spg.jsp...ps1_1&pid=10385

It'll set it up step by step, you can configure MMS on that site too. Hope that helps

Posted by: DruB

Since we are on the subject of 3G, will this phone work on Cingular's 3G Network. The reason I ask is bc its 2100mhz UMTS, but is that what Cingular's 3G is?

Posted by: hkanji

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsibble

I'm getting awful battery life with Exchange ActiveSync running. Less than 18 hours. This phone really makes me question whether I just wasted a lot of money for no reason.

Posted by: hkanji

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsibble

The jog dial on the M600i is really poorly done from a pure plastics point of view. Why is there a bevel (a plastic extended bit) *in front* of hte jog dial? It should be behind or not ther eat all (I know it's a guard). It makes the dial ridiculously difficult to operate. Plus the dial is not smooth in the least - unlike the BB which is like silk. Pushing the button in is also a pain in the ***.

On an unrelated note, has anyone figured out a quicker way to lock/unlock the phone? ALT-X-TOUCH SCREEN is complicated and so is TOUCH-SCREEN, DROP DOWN MENU-LOCK.

-h

Posted by: RxistKJ

Quote:

Originally Posted by hkanji

I agree, the jog dial with the lip cover is a poor design, particularly in comparison to a Blackberry.

The quickest way I have found to unlock the phone is to hold the "back" button underneath the jog dial down until it locks the phone. Another shortcut, which may have already been mentioned, is turning the sound on/off by by pushing and holding the jog dial first and then pushing the # key.

I have an unrelated question with regards to ActiveSync: anybody having issues with Calendar synchronization continuosuly failing due to a "Symbian Error [-6]: bad request"?

Posted by: hkanji

Quote:

Originally Posted by RxistKJ

I have the same problems wth the calendar.

Posted by: Tony_Ensemble

Boy I really, REALLY, want to like this phone; The form factor, the keyboard, the screen, the graphics; so many things to love... BUT, it just isn't there yet. I have been waiting for this phone for so long, but I think I'm gonna switch back to thre Treo or give the Q a try.

Its a shame that they didn't finish this phone cause they got so many things correct. But in the end its the things they didn't get right that are causing me to abandon mine. I 'd list those things but its all the same stuff that has already been talked about.

Maybe in 6 months or a year I'll try it again.

So sad

Posted by: Tony_Ensemble

I almost forgot to ask my question...

I'm getting a connection to Cingular half the time but the other half my phone displays "Emergency calling only".

I live in Dallas TX and Im using the Sim card from my Treo 650 on Cingular.

Any help?

Posted by: hkanji

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony_Ensemble

Boy I really, REALLY, want to like this phone; The form factor, the keyboard, the screen, the graphics; so many things to love... BUT, it just isn't there yet. I have been waiting for this phone for so long, but I think I'm gonna switch back to thre Treo or give the Q a try.

Its a shame that they didn't finish this phone cause they got so many things correct. But in the end its the things they didn't get right that are causing me to abandon mine. I 'd list those things but its all the same stuff that has already been talked about.

Maybe in 6 months or a year I'll try it again.

So sad

So apparently there is a new firmware update. R3A01. Supposed to improve things. I'm skeptical but tomorrow morning at work I'l linstall it.

Posted by: Tony_Ensemble

Quote:

Originally Posted by plessdude

(Going back a few days)

Its interesting that you mention the lack of multi-tasking on the Treo as a liability. I was just talking with a friend who is going through the paces with his new Q. He loves it except for the multi-tasking. If your a casual user you might never even know it multitasks, except that your phone seems to get slower and slower. So we were both going on and on about how Palm OS is superior (in our opinion) specifically because it doesn't multi task. Apllications open instantly anyway but memory never runs out. Multi-tasking on a smartphone seems (to me) like a big marketing idea that has sucsessfully snowballed in the minds of the consumers.

Now back to the m600i: It seems ironic that the only reason I can find to like multitasking is that the apps open up so slowly that you want to leave them open for next time. Doesn't seem like a feature to me... seems like a way to justify an inefficient OS and bloated apps.

I'm interested to see a show of hands (so to speak) from m600 owners...

<<In Your Opinion Is Multitasking>>
(A) a GOOD thing
-or-
(B) a BAD thing

Posted by: Indighost

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony_Ensemble

I almost forgot to ask my question...

I'm getting a connection to Cingular half the time but the other half my phone displays "Emergency calling only".

I live in Dallas TX and Im using the Sim card from my Treo 650 on Cingular.

Any help?

Being a world tri-band phone (regarding GSM frequencies), and not a US tri-band phone, it lacks the 850 mHz band and replaces it with the 900 mHz. Almost all Cingular--and many former AT&T--towers utilize the 850 mHz band. The few towers that do push out at 1900 mhz are too few and far between for you.

The answer? Either move to a different part of the US with solid 3G access through Cingular (or even better, to a different country, you Texan!), or get a new phone, either US-dual (850/1900), US-tri (850/1800/1900), or a quad-band (850/900/1800/1900). Or keep the phone and wait until Cingular beefs up its 3G (CDMA) coverage in your area. Or migrate to a different provider with either enough 1900 towers to get you by, or 3G.

Complicated? Yes. But your problems, like everything else, will be bigger in Texas!

Posted by: Tony_Ensemble

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indighost

Thanks a bunch,

That was what I suspected the problem is. So I have two big Texas sized questions for you...

(1) Is it possible that (because cingular thinks I am using a quad band Treo) that they have settings on their side that cause my phone to not stay connected to the 850 band.

(2) How do I find out which provider(s) in Dallas have a strong 850 network?

Tony

Posted by: Tony_Ensemble

Quote:

Originally Posted by hkanji

So apparently there is a new firmware update. R3A01. Supposed to improve things. I'm skeptical but tomorrow morning at work I'l linstall it.

How do I check to see if my phone has successfully upgraded the firmware?

Posted by: RxistKJ

From the Home Screen-->More-->Status

Scroll down and confirm your firmware version R3A004

Posted by: Indighost

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony_Ensemble

Tony...

1) I think it's highly unlikely. Actually I'm 99% sure there's no 'preferential band' setting (on the network end) for general users. But you could make sure by doing a manual network search when you do get the "Emergency Calls Only" message. If there's a Cingular-titled choice that shows up, then there is such a setting. But again, I'm almost certain there isn't.

2) Remember... you're not only looking for who's got a strong 850 mHz network (850's seen more in rural areas), but you could perhaps forget about 850 all together and look for a company who's got a strong 1900 presence. Again, manual search is what you need to do. Periodically, run a manual network search, and see whichever brand consistently shows up on the 'found networks' list.

Good luck my man! ...your American Bangkok-resident helper

Posted by: RxistKJ

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indighost

The answer? Either move to a different part of the US with solid 3G access through Cingular (or even better, to a different country, you Texan!), or get a new phone, either US-dual (850/1900), US-tri (850/1800/1900), or a quad-band (850/900/1800/1900). Or keep the phone and wait until Cingular beefs up its 3G (CDMA) coverage in your area. Or migrate to a different provider with either enough 1900 towers to get you by, or 3G.

You probably already know this but I'll state the obvious anyway: the M600i supports 2100mhz UMTS while Cingular's network is 1900mhz UMTS and so Cingular's 3G network will not work on the M600i.

I have read though that the FCC is going to have an auction for licenses for various spectrums including 3G on August 9th. Supposedly, T-Mobile is going to strongly bid on a 3G frequency license.

I guess we'll have to keep waiting or move...

Posted by: Tony_Ensemble

Quote:

Originally Posted by RxistKJ

Thanks guys, all that is useful information for me.

Posted by: Wrk_InProgress

Can some of the posters who earlier in this thread noted that their M600i felt "incomplete" or were upset by a few key problems with their device, compare their original device with the new firmware ?

From what I've gathered from various boards - the new firmware answers nearly all the problems. From stability to speed to the ability to answer/end calls via the jogdail and back button.

Posted by: Tony_Ensemble

Ok, I tried doing a manual scan for networks.

It comes back and says: 1 NETWORK FOUND: Cingular and I get this message,,,
"Registration to Cingular is Forbidden"

Thi

Posted by: hairy bottle

hello all,
can anyone help advise where i can download new fw or patches for my m600i ? just bought last week but now very disappointed due to the numerous hang issue. kindly advise. thanks

Posted by: kamranwpi

I have Exchange account through 1and1.com, I can't get it to work. Can any one help. It's really bizzar, this phone is a science project. 1st installing the exchange program, now getting the exchange working.
Please help. Thanks

Posted by: Andresin

I din't see if this was mentioned already, but another possibility if you are having reception problems is that your M600i is searching for a 2100 3G network and you have a SIM-card that doesn't support that. In the new firmware you can turn 3G off and go to strict GSM mode. That helped for me and my M600 stopped constantly dropping it's signal.

Posted by: solo118

is this phone compatible with microsoft word and microsoft excel files??

Posted by: shaolinmonk

Quote:

Originally Posted by solo118

is this phone compatible with microsoft word and microsoft excel files??

yes.......................

Posted by: kamranwpi

Quote:

Originally Posted by megaphone

why won't the M600 support WAP/TZones? can you provide more insight?

thanks
-matt

I had same problems too, my E61 will sync fine at WAP/Tzone plan, but M600 won't do anything, I spend alot of time figuring it out why. Finally I quit on it yesterday, and then I tried it on my cousin's $20/month data plan, and it worked fine on his data plan..

I really really wanna like this phone over E61, form factor, light weight, touchscreen, everything is great about this phone except the stablity, it's like Sony is just trying Symbian, don't know why they got such a crapy product out. Has so many bugs, did any of you noticed the stupid battery is a paint in the @$$ to put in or it's just my phone.

Posted by: txemsdoc

I have a strange problem.. on the main screen, next to the time, the alarm indicator stays permanently on. Clicking on it pulls up the alarms,but none are selected. Intermittently, the alarm goes off at the time of one of the non-selected alarms. I can't prevent it from going off.. any ideas?

Posted by: howdoin

Just upgraded my M600 with the latest firmware and now BB Connect is not working

Anybody knows where to find an updated BB Connect that works with the latest firmware or has an idea on how to make this work?

(M600i on Cingular in USA)

Posted by: L Bo

Looks interesting enuff to be stick-a-fied.

Posted by: txemsdoc

Just to clarify my previous problem....

My phone alarms at 6:30 pm everyday. The alarm icon remains on the main screen.
Going to the alarm settings, none of the 3 time settings are for 6:30 pm, nor are any of the alarms selected. But, my phone still alarms at 6:30pm daily.

Is there some other alarm that might be set? Is there somewhere else in the menus to look. I also changed all of the alarm times to noon, ensured they were unselected. The alarm icon still is on main screen. I turned phone off, removed battery and SIM card, replaced, turned phone on. Alarm icon still there, and then going to the alarm screen, shows the middle alarm #2 has been set to 6:30pm and is checked!

This all started after downloading the most current firmware.

Does Sony USA support this phone if I Call them for assistance?

Thanks,
Chris

Posted by: oneill.bt

Quote:

Originally Posted by txemsdoc

Just to clarify my previous problem....

My phone alarms at 6:30 pm everyday. The alarm icon remains on the main screen.
Going to the alarm settings, none of the 3 time settings are for 6:30 pm, nor are any of the alarms selected. But, my phone still alarms at 6:30pm daily.

Is there some other alarm that might be set? Is there somewhere else in the menus to look. I also changed all of the alarm times to noon, ensured they were unselected. The alarm icon still is on main screen. I turned phone off, removed battery and SIM card, replaced, turned phone on. Alarm icon still there, and then going to the alarm screen, shows the middle alarm #2 has been set to 6:30pm and is checked!

This all started after downloading the most current firmware.

Does Sony USA support this phone if I Call them for assistance?

Thanks,
Chris

I had a problem with the time/alarm settings (phone would relentlessly vibrate when I entered the time menu) after updating to the latest firmware. All I did to fix the problem was do another full update of the phone.

I've read elsewhere that sometimes a second flashing when updating to new firmware does the trick to fix problems like this.

Posted by: masterhiko

is there a function to backup/save text messages (sms) to the sim card (my w900 and w810 does) or memory card? this is the deciding factor for me and this phone. if it has the simple 'Save Message' option which saves it on the sim like my other two phones even better. if not, hopefully theres a sms backup feature that can backup to the m2 card. ill get it for sure if does.

Posted by: kimmoj

Re: the question about multitasking a way back up there...

Multitasking is a great feature on any phone. The only problem on the Q is that it is running Windows, which is not designed to be a phone OS. Windows Mobile stinks on ice for more mission critical apps like this, in my humble opinion, and I can well understand why a casual user wouldn't understand the run-more-apps-until-memory-is-exhausted-and-then-close-the-oldest-app approach Microsoft took with it. That's why there is a ton of task switcher/controller applications out there for WM. I love it in a PDA because you can do so much with it, but there is no way am I buying a phone with it.

Multitasking on Symbian is something else entirely from the Windows Mobile crud, and let's face it - to do two things simultaneously you must have multitasking. Two things - as in using the phone while listening to music on it... I believe you can do that on some Palm-based devices too but only through some ugly hacks of the base OS.

Posted by: J273

Not had a symbian phone for a while and have been using a ppc phone for ages...1 thing that bugs me with wm5 is the phantom alarm where the device never wakes up causing the alarm not to sound......Does uiq suffer from this problem

Thanks

Posted by: vnikolic

I just got an m600i a few days ago and I've been trying to get the GPRS to work on Fido (Canada) network, with no success. Neither Fido, nor Sony Ericsson Canada have been of any help. Fido gave me the settings and that's it, no support for the specific phone model. Sony Ericsson said it's not intennded for Amreican market, and "there is no GPRS in the phone"!!!!! All the specs say it's there, the white papers say it's there, GSM standard sais it's there, the phone sees GPRS but is Unatached, but a tech support guy ssais "NO GPRS". Who's crazy here???

Thanks

Posted by: shaolinmonk

Quote:

Originally Posted by vnikolic

I just got an m600i a few days ago and I've been trying to get the GPRS to work on Fido (Canada) network, with no success. Neither Fido, nor Sony Ericsson Canada have been of any help. Fido gave me the settings and that's it, no support for the specific phone model. Sony Ericsson said it's not intennded for Amreican market, and "there is no GPRS in the phone"!!!!! All the specs say it's there, the white papers say it's there, GSM standard sais it's there, the phone sees GPRS but is Unatached, but a tech support guy ssais "NO GPRS". Who's crazy here???

Thanks

use the sony ericsson online setup.. it'll send you the settings.. then verify that they are corect in the fido fourms

Posted by: vnikolic

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaolinmonk

use the sony ericsson online setup.. it'll send you the settings.. then verify that they are corect in the fido fourms

I've done all that, several times, but no luck. I've tried a master reset as well. All the settings I could check I've checked. There's no place to input APN adress it seems, could that be the problem? It shows GPRS available but Unatached?

Posted by: shaolinmonk

Quote:

Originally Posted by vnikolic

of course there's an APN...where are you looking?

there's like 4 ways to enter them.. the easiest being going through the connection manager...

Posted by: GT-[R]

i have nothin but praise for this phone so far
its much improved over the p800/p900 phones, previous uiq devices ive owned

best of all, the thing is fricken slim, and looks nice too... sexy white... if it had wifi and even a 1.3mp camera, id keep this phone forever lol

Posted by: tkao2025

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT-[R]

i have nothin but praise for this phone so far
its much improved over the p800/p900 phones, previous uiq devices ive owned

best of all, the thing is fricken slim, and looks nice too... sexy white... if it had wifi and even a 1.3mp camera, id keep this phone forever lol

Agreed. If there was edge (wifi not necessary for me) and the K800 camera

SE would have the ultimate phone as I think the form factor, keypad, and looks are real killer...............oh and a faster processor would be good too.

Posted by: powerbook76

bit smaller than i anticipated...
great size for a smart-phone...

Posted by: L Bo

Moved to FAQ...

Posted by: Dogmann

Hi all,
Having waited until now and R9A002 to get my M600i i must say i am very happy with it and its performance. After updating and turning off handwriting recognition and installing SwissManager a free app for memory management and the black theme from the SE site that is all i have added. Except for a pair of HBH-DS970 bluetooth stereo headphones the combination of this and the cheapness now of 1Gb M2 cards it is a worthy full replacement for an MP3 player along with diary, photo album and of course phone are the main uses for me. Whilst E-Mail is handled well as is web browsing and video playback is reasonable my N93 performs these tasks just that little bit better. The Safari based web browser in landscape mode IMO is just so much better than Opera. E-mail to be honest there is very little difference between the the two. The Gallery can be a little slow to open all pictures sometimes and the lack of a folder structure rather than having to go through all the pictures gives Photo Album to the M600i. Video they really is no comparison the extra chip power and 3D graphics chip in the N93 renders properly encoded material beautifully both colours and definition are excellent IMO of course takeing pictures and Video is handled by the N93.

In this new era of Symbian low Ram usage and easy multitasking is currently a thing of the past, Ram needs to be managed constantly depending on the users needs. The manufacturers need to up the Ram by at least 50% more free on boot up otherwise true multitasking is going to struggle IMO. I would say as of today's date if you access to an unbranded M600i can update to the latest firmware and follow the simple tips left by others it is a stable and very use able phone its tiny yet its screen is massive and clear and i have had no freezes crashes or low battery warnings for what i use it for battery life is good to excellent IMO and I'm certainly happy with my purchase.

Marc

Posted by: powerbook76

i get the mp3, photo album and phone usage.. but how'd you use it for a diary?

Posted by: Dogmann

Hi Powerbook,
My whole life runs through Outlook and calander/diary is my most used app both my phones are snyched over bluetooth so i always have 3 up to date copies of diary, contacts. The starting point for all samrtphones/Pda's IMO is diary and contact first then office docs, mail, web. For the Music Player i use the Disc2Phone MP3 @192Kbps prouduces really good quality sound and the id tags reamain working.

Marc