The New Sony Ericsson Gadgets
It has been more than half a year since my current cellphone (Sony Ericsson K800i) was released last summer, but when I check with Sony Ericson's new releases, I realize that the new cellphones' features are not any upgraded than mine. In this blog entry, I'm going to compare some of the specifications and talk about digital convergence in cellphones, especially in the Asia countries.
Compare the Specifications
First, please download the photo below, or enlarge it in a new browser. Thanks.
As you can see in the spreadsheet that I did, among the 6 new releases that I picked, only K810i has features that are similar to and/or better than my K800i. Supposingly, K810i should be an upgraded version of K800i. However, I don't see the big differences other than that K810i comes with the new feature called Photo Fix, which you can adjust light balance, brightness and contrast in one go.
Furthermore, it sounds a bit strange to me that the other new cellphones are still equipped with 2 megapixel cameras instead of higher resolution cameras. I mean while the "oldie" K800i has 3.2 megapixel, the new ones that are coming out with 2 megapixel cameras seem to be moving backward.
But luckily, all the new releases are supporting the new Memory Stick Micro (M2), Flight Mode (which allows users to use the phone in hospitals and planes, i.e. MP3 player) and are Bluetooth enhanced.
Digital Convergence
If you realize from the spreadsheet that I did, I haven't cover the other pink grid that might have caught your attention because it is a new example of digital convergence. Please watch the video clip below to see what is the Fitness Application:
The Fitness Application Walkthrough
No matter if this function is attractive to you or not, this is a step forward into digital convergence. To make it simple, digital convergence means one device serves multiple function (Read more here). In this case, runners no need to bring their timer or other heartbeat timer, and even better, the records are able to speak with their computers. Also, they can kind of eliminate their iPods because the cellphone is equipped with a MP3 player, as well as FM radio. Besides, the runners can take photos with the built-in camera if they see something nice on the way jogging. This device is a combination of a MP3 player, camera, timer, and a cellphone.
As I was talking with Peter the other day, he was surprised with the video call function that I have in my cellphone. And on the same day, I was amazed that how common video calls are in Korea as I read Brian's comment posted on Ting's Blog. Since I never lived in Korea or Japan, I don't know the details of how watching television on cellphones works. Instead, I can talk about how people use their cellphones to check emails, browse websites, make video calls, and chat online etc.
Check Emails
In the United States, internet service plans are charged additionally, and not many people subscribe to such plans, unless you're a Blackberry or Treo user, because the cheapest plans can cost you $29.99 in addition to your individual minutes plan. For example, if you have a Blackberry and you have subscribed to a internet service plan, you can directly integrate up to 10 of your existing email accounts (such as xxxxx @usc.edu) by clicking the defaut menu icon on your Blackberry handheld. If you have a cellphone that is capable to access the internet and you have a internet service plan, you can access your existing email accounts through the mobile versions of those email portals, such as http://www.gmail.com/app and http://m.yahoo.com.
Browse Websites
Still, you need to subscribe to one of those internet service plans to browse websites. With a Blackberry and many smartphones, you can type in the links of the sites that you browse with your laptop. But with some cellphones, you will need to browse the mobile versions of the websites in order to fit in your cellphone's screen.
Instant Messaging
Instant Messaging depends on what cellphone you own because some cellphones already have IM pre-installed while some requires installation. If installation is required, sometimes you can download the IM online through your cellphone, or you can download the JAVA applications on your computer and transfer them to your cellphone through Bluetooth, Infrared or a cable. Still, you need a internet service plan for instant messaging.
Video Calls
Unfortunately, there are no UMTS networks in the United States (as far as I know), so video calls are not supported in the US. In fact, Hong Kong and China do have such networks, and in Japan and Korea, these networks are very well developed (and improving rapidly too). Hence, video calls are very common in Japan and Korea. Brian even told me that people in Korea seldom talk on their cellphones, but they usually video call each other. How video calls work is actually as simple as calling up a friend. For example, in Hong Kong, you don't neccessarily need to have a 3G plan, but you need to be on a network that has 3G coverage. Once you have 3G coverage, just choose the person you want to call, and click "Make video call" instead of "Call" on your video-call enabled cellphone.
Other Features
Other than the features mentioned above, today's cellphones are much more powerful than it was 5 or 10 years ago. Let me use my cellphone and my preferences as an example. I use my cellphone to listen to the radio instead of listening on the car stereo, and sometimes I use my cellphone to play my music instead of using my iPod. Also, I seldom look up a physical dictionary or online dictionary these days because I have 3 dictionaries installed in my cellphone. Moreover, I don't play Sudoku on the Trojan Daily because I have it installed in my cellphone. And occasaionally, I use the built-in camera on my cellphone to snap pictures rather than using my digital camera (but quality is definitely different although I set the same resolutions for both my cellphone and digital camera).
Other than these, people in Japan and Korea use their cellphones to watch television, checkout items and pick them up in store, and in Japan, they even have a barcode system in their cellphones for coupons or purchases. Watch the clips below and you might give a "Wow."
If you're interested to know more about this barcode system, click on the video clip above and read the comments on the page, and go to http://youtube.com/watch?v=3-WqbwU30Qg to watch this other clip and read the description on your right (you need to click on "more" to show the full description of how it works). Hopefully, you might be amused like me.
** I want to move to Japan like NOW. LoLz. **
Sites and Video Clips of the Cellphones Mentioned
1) K800i: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAqOHoTcY3I
2) K810i: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZwCT3gWNQU
3) K550i: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXY7mWoqI_s
4) W880i: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taSqzVAhFaM
5) W610i: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8joxcalSpI
6) W660i: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yyX0MeG5-s
7) W580i: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMCHTTBMcbk
3 comments:
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lol at the above comment
I know how you feel peony… My cell phone contract just expired, and I went to one those cell phone places in Alhambra and got the w810i for free (which is still waiting for me in the box). Already they seemed to have replaced it with the w880i (or is it the w610i?) which is annoying, but other than a larger screen and a nicer case it’s not much of an upgrade. In some cases it’s a downgrade as the new model lost FM play but gained “flight mode”. This kind of incremental upgrade has been true of Sony and many other manufacturers over the last couple of years, so Apple’s iPhone, which you mentioned in your earlier blog, is a breath of fresh innovation in a market where manufacturers are holding a lot of power and are milking the consumer.
As a security guy, my take on convergence is that accentuates the problems of single point of failure. Meaning if this device fails, then your lost productivity costs increase as functionality consolidates. Not to mention the anguish you’ll go through if you lose the $600 gold D&G cell phone that Charis mentions in her blog. Also, its not that big right now since most cell phone communication is meaningless chatter, but as we start using our phones to purchase items, surf the web, etc. we should expect hackers to start developing ways to “sniff” data from the air just as they are able to “sniff” packets off of wireless internet standards such as WEP and WPA. What kinds of safeguards are being built in to newer standards like 3G, UMTS, etc. to prevent this?
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