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What happened to Sony's low-end? Phones for simple tasks gone? |
vlotnet
Joined: May 11, 2008
Posts: 88
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For anyone still following this thread, just found out the T270 and T280 will allow charging via USB, but transferring files is only Bluetooth (according to gsmarena). No cable option for transfer of data.
There goes SE's low-end to me.
Gonna take a serious look at Nokia's budget line now. | |
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max_wedge
Joined: Aug 29, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Australia
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Nokia low end (100AUD) have even less support for data transfer.
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NightBlade
Joined: Jul 29, 2007
Posts: > 500
From: Nessebar, Bulgaria
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On 2008-05-20 06:08:05, vlotnet wrote:
For anyone still following this thread, just found out the T270 and T280 will allow charging via USB, but transferring files is only Bluetooth (according to gsmarena). No cable option for transfer of data.
There goes SE's low-end to me.
Gonna take a serious look at Nokia's budget line now.
If it has a USB cable, then it you will be able to transfer files via USB. Simple as that. |
max_wedge
Joined: Aug 29, 2004
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From: Australia
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not always. I've come across phones (never an SE though as far as I know) where the cable is only for syncing calander contacts etc, but doesn't support file transfer.
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carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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@ vlotnet
Here is the SE dot com dot AU webpage for the DCU-60 USB cable showing all the aussie phones that are compatible with it. They all look pretty pricey... 
http://www.sonyericsson.com/c[....]es/overview/dcu-60?cc=au&lc=en
And here is the Complete SE worldwide portfolio to choose from:
http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/corporate/products/phoneportfolio
Hope this helps! 
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hgautam
Joined: Jan 29, 2006
Posts: > 500
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@vlotnet
Are K310/K320 available in your area??? If they are I would suggest you pick one of them as soon as possible before they get out of stock... They are great phones for their price and fall under your budget and needs too... Owned one of these... |
Coquito
Joined: Mar 28, 2007
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From: Moca, Rep.Dom
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He said No joystick!!
In my opinion, low-end t250, t280, t270, k220 are phones for simple task as you want, so why do you need to trasnfer files from a computer to a phone with a 5mb memory 
some of they even have Bluetooh and Radio!!!!
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max_wedge
Joined: Aug 29, 2004
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From: Australia
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not all phones with joysticks are dodge. My K750 is almost 4 years old, it's joystick works fine. My K800 I've had for over a year, again no problem whatsoever. Works like a dream.
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vlotnet
Joined: May 11, 2008
Posts: 88
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On 2008-05-20 16:30:03, coquito wrote:
He said No joystick!!
In my opinion, low-end t250, t280, t270, k220 are phones for simple task as you want, so why do you need to trasnfer files from a computer to a phone with a 5mb memory
some of they even have Bluetooh and Radio!!!!
Why data cable for small transfers?
That's actually a good question. Been using MyPhoneExplorer to transfer stuff with cable with my K500i. Sometimes easier to write appointments on PC then transfer to phone. Other times I want to save SMS to my PC as the phone fills up. Basically I sync and edit with PC and phone.
Not so much the largeness of files (mostly all SMSs, appointments, alarms, the odd small vga pics, etc), but I assume a cable is the most compatible and trouble-free way of doing this? Plus I always use my cable for charging on the PC, which is what I would like to continue doing in any new phone, and I currently don't use bluetooth (means I would have to buy an adaptor, not expensive but still worried about compatibility with program(s)...
max_wedge,
Yeah as I found out in the last 24hours. Nokia does seem to have worse support for data transfer. What gets to me is I still have a T230 (budget of the budget) that can support data transfer, but is missing a usable calendar and search feataures in the phone, which is what I need). It's unbelievable how they've taken out cable data transfer in the low-end. I thought it would be super-easy to still buy it at this price along with basic features. I guess they want to move low-enders up to the bigger money-earners and bundle useless multimedia features whether the customer wants them or not (useless to me anyway; I don't want or use converged "jack-of-all trades master-of-none" devices).
CarKitter, cheers.
Hgautam, yeah definitely no joystick this time for me. Too scared of SE's quality here.
Oh well I'll keep on looking, but it seems what I want (basic features plus cable transfer in a bar form-factor) still starts closer to 200 Australian dollars, which I find utterly ridiculous.
Thanks for all the help so far guys. |
max_wedge
Joined: Aug 29, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Australia
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unfortunately the ultra low end is reserved for people who just call and text. It's assumed anyone who uses organiser features (such as calendar and reminders etc) will start at the low-end atleast (as opposed to the ultra low end). The low-end starts at $200
tbh, $100 is pretty cheap for a mobile phone and for that all I would expect myself is call and text features.
Especially since you are saying you will use a phone for 4 years, at $200 that's $1 a week that your phone is costing you. Is the extrea 50c per week really that bad to get the functionality you want (ie: the calendar)? Assuming you spend $40 dollars or more a month on phone calls, your phone is only costing you 10% of what you spend on calls. (my phone costs me 30% of what I spend on calls).
You complain that you get features you don't want at that price level of $200, but you are not forced to use those features. If I wanted a next-g phone with GPS for hiking and emergency calls (no maps, just gps co-ordinates, calls and text) but no fancy multimedia, I'd be out of luck. I'd be forced to buy a more expensive phone than I really need. That's just the way of it. Phones are not modular - you can't order them with only those specific features that you want. You have to pick the class or market segment that has what you need and just live with the fact there is extra stuff you don't need.
I have a K800, I've never once used the stopwatch, ota synchronisation, code memo, rss reader or video call. I've never even used the front camera! It's a complete waste of space, but to get the 3MP camera of the K800 I have to accept that I get that other stuff as well.
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Marly
Joined: Jun 04, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Netherlands
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Too bad, you don't want a joystick, because, as someone already said, the K320 is a brilliant little phone for its price.
"America: please don’t be a Dumpfkopf" |
vlotnet
Joined: May 11, 2008
Posts: 88
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Max_Wedge,
I'm not expecting phones to be modular... but what I find is the price difference *just* to get cable connectivity IS a huge jump; not even a small one like 50 bucks. ie. a deliberate attempt at forced market segmentation, particulary as the low-end has had that before (I can still create appointments with my T230, just that I don't get the nifty calendar view).
I would disagree with your low-end and "ultra low end" definitions. I think there is only low end and mid-range (200ish phones), upper-midrange and high-end as far as price brackets go. Marketing to different demographics is another matter entirely, of course, but price-ranges... that's the way I see 'em.
But I guess that's just down to very subjective things and essentially meaningless at the end of the day, but *to me* phones are incredibly poor value (just to throw in more subjectivity). FWIW, I use no more than AUD$30 of credit every 2 months (ie. I rarely make a call, but I receive a fair few). That's how I use mine. And your figures on value really assume I have the phone for 4 years (in that time you gotta replace the battery for sure, and I was already on my second battery for the K500i...and only because I managed to clean the joystick several times for it to work). I doubt many people here even have their phones for 2+ years. I happen to have a negative view of the longevity of most phones, in fact...which is another reason I don't want to spend too much on them. Especially after my K500i incident.
Right now I'm thinking that perhaps now it's time to go to bluetooth instead of cable (considering the T270 and T280 have this)...and I'm assuming there will be no problems with MyPhoneExplorer.
Any thoughts?
The thing is I need to wait until availability of T270 and T280 here (absolutely none selling in Australia, and no easy import choices), then get them unlocked if it's on another provider's network... so with that in mind I'm thinking that it might be better to just spend 200 on an unlocked phone TODAY... but of course I don't WANT to, only to have it die on me. I think the lower-end phones are often (but not always) more reliable too - less can go wrong hardware and software-wise because they're far less complex, overall. So that's another reason I want one.
And if something *does* go wrong, well it's not so much of a big deal forking out for a new one. I also like the feeling of getting something new and not worrying about or babying it constantly. So low-end is my choice. But at the end of the day, it's all down to my needs. I don't neeeeed anymore, so I think I shouldn't have to pay for it.
I just hope bluetooth can let me keep doing what I'm doing (pc-phone) without issues.... or other hassles.
...(and I hope the T270 / T280 sell here soon).
Otherwise I'm going in to the dark side of $200ish 'multimedia' phones (gah!)
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vlotnet
Joined: May 11, 2008
Posts: 88
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On 2008-05-22 23:50:38, Marly wrote:
Too bad, you don't want a joystick, because, as someone already said, the K320 is a brilliant little phone for its price.
Absolutely. I love the design too, and its price bracket! I think the buttons are really usable. w200i, also... which is $99 bucks here... does what I want (but has a poorer display than my current K500i which I can totally live with) but no joystick for me, I'm afraid. I'm simply looking for another one of these gems which have sold in the past (and are selling now) with USB connectivity but without the (problematic, IMO) joystick.
Thanks for your suggestion, Marly. |
carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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How about a K610i?
Its firmly in the mid-range not the low end but since it's been replaced by the K630i/V640i has come down further in price to AUD$170 ish
Bluetooth V2.0, USB compatiblity, works fine with MPE, has a D-pad which looks like a joystick, good screen, excellent calender with 5 Alarms, and Buetooth Remote Control which controls your PC - great if you use PowerPoint alot.
See here: http://www.myshopping.com.au/[....]ricsson_K610i_GSM_Mobile_Phone
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[ This Message was edited by: carkitter on 2008-05-23 23:48 ] |
vlotnet
Joined: May 11, 2008
Posts: 88
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carkitter,
Yeah was looking at the K610i along with the K530i. Add 30ish to that price for delivery for a $200ish figure (Telstra has it for $199 on their prepaid offferings, too: http://www.telstra.com.au/tel[....]idplus/handsets/sony_w610i.cfm ). edit: whoops, it turns out that's the W610.
The cheapest I've seen the 530i is 168ish before delivery.
If I go to this 200 dollar price (which I'm still dreading), I will get the K530i, tho. I prefer it to the K610i. Of course none of the retail outlets sell it here so it will definitely be an import from one of the sites you linked to.
Really clenching my buttcheeks out of paying that much and don't know when the T270 / T280 will hit the market, so I might give SE Australia a call on Monday to see whether their new low-enders will hit Australia...if they know; when I asked them about the 530i they said a third party imports their phones into the country and they don't supply stores (I guess they only do phone company deals), so dunno if I can get any answers from those guys.
So far I can get the T250i on Virgin or the black version imported from a local importer, but blah to that. No USB connectivity.
Thanks for the suggestion.
[ This Message was edited by: vlotnet on 2008-05-24 04:58 ] | |
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Posted: 2008-05-20 06:08
