Although badged as a Bold, the styling dimensions and feel of the device point more to a revamped BlackBerry Tour than a CDMA-based version of Bold 9700, which is offered by the GSM-based carriers AT&T and T-Mobile.

The Bold 9650 currentlyretails through Sprint for $200 and Verizon Wireless for $150.

BUILD & DESIGN

The Bold 9650 is nearly identical to the Tour — the only discernible design update is the addition of the optical trackpad.

This modelis heavier and bulkier than the Bold 9700 though still manageable in a pocket or purse.

Screen
RIM has been doing a great job in the display department as of late. The 2.4-inch 480×360 screen is crisp, bright, and manages browsing sessions well.

Like all BlackBerrys, the display will adjust to ambient light.

Keyboard
The Bold 9650 sports the better of the two keyboards RIM currently produces.It is accurate, responsive and quick.

Its rubbery keys are row-separated by a depressed chrome bezel.

Trackpad
When RIM first introduced the trackpad, I was blown away. There was almost no learning curve and I found the experience to be intuitive and accurate.

This isn’t true with the Bold 9650 trackpad. I found it to be jumpy and hard to manage. Despite tweaking settings and adjusting pressure the experience simply wasn’t as flawless as I’ve seen in the past. It’s not a deal breaker but will take some getting used to your trackpad’s unique attitude.

Etcetera
Sadly, the Bold 9650 sports the worst design feature of the Tour: a micro-USB charging port located on the right side of the keyboard. This makes it nearly impossible to type on the phone while you’re charging it, a flaw which is not present on the Bold 9700.

The 9650 sports a rocker key in its top edgeto lock and mute the phone. Strangely, the rocker lock initiates a different lock than the keyboard lock — users can’t unlock the device with the keyboard after locking it with the rocker key. It would have been nice to see rocker key customization options, like the convenience keys on the side of the phone.

PERFORMANCE

The BlackBerry Bold 9650 is a solid performer in almost every category. As a messaging-centric device its web browsing capabilities are weak, but for most uses the 9650 is a smooth operator.

I did experience some glitches requiring the device to be powered on and off. Resets were relatively quick and occurred without any data loss.

Wireless Data
The Bold 9650 boasts 802.11b/g, GPS, Bluetooth with profiles for streaming music, and support for UMTS/HSPA, CDMA/EV-DO and GSM based networks. In layman’s terms, this means that this smartphone is one of the few offered by Sprint and Verizon that can be used outside of the United States.

The addition of Wi-Fi is a welcome improvement over the Tour, and is probably the biggest reason to choose this model over its predecessor.

The streaming audio profiles work wonderfully; I was able to stream high-quality Pandora radio over my car’s audio system after initial pairing.

Call Quality
Call quality is spot-on with this version of theBold. From low to high volume the speaker supports a range of sound from deep to high. The speakerphone is sufficiently loud as well.

Messaging
The strongest point of the BlackBerry is its messaging.Connections to Gmail accounts sync messages and contacts seamlessly. A message sent from a computer will show up as a sent message on the device, which creates an incredibly useful completely current email record at all times.

SMS conversations are bubbled to seem like instant messenger chats, and instant messaging clients (AIM, GTalk, Y-Messenger, ICQ, MSN)all integrate well into the BlackBerry message indication system.

A neat feature I recently discovered in the newest version of the BlackBerry OS is the ability to port SMS contacts into the BlackBerry Messenger interface. This feature combined with the ability to placeBlackBerry Messenger contact icons on the home screen mean that users can place messaging icons for any of their contacts on the home screen for even quicker access. A job well done, RIM!

Entertainment
The entertainment options on the Bold 9650 come from the BlackBerry OS and from prepackaged Sprint apps. Offerings include the standard slew of games, (Brickbreaker, Word Mole, Texas Hold Em, Sudoku, Klondike) , Sprint apps for NASCAR mobile, Football, SprintTV, an upcoming Sprint Music Store, Pocket Express aggregator, and others. Social networking apps are also included.

The web browser is the same standard one on most BlackBerry OS 5.0 devices come with, with minor cosmetic changes.As I mentioned earlier, thisapp is one of the weakest features on the phone, and isn’t even in the same league as thebrowsers offered bytheiPhone or Android OS devices.

Productivity
The productivity apps, like the entertainment apps, are standard issue. The most useful apps are the Documents To Go suite by DataViz, which let you work with Microsoft Office files on your smartphone.

Other useful tools include multiple calendar support, contact grouping and Sprint navigation.

The biggest productivity asset of this device however is the BlackBerry OS 5.0 interface, which is an improvement over previous versions.

Camera
The 3.2 megapixel camera on the Bold 9650features auto-focus, video recording and flash.

Using the camera has been made easier with this model. Previous auto-focus BlackBerrys required users to first focus and then completely press the key to capture an image. With the Bold the process has been simplified to a simple point and click – the device will focus itself.

Battery Life
With casual phone, messaging, and browsing use I observed just less than 18 hours of usable time from fully charge to battery-induced radio off. So you can probably expect to charge this device every night.

CONCLUSION

It’s true that RIM hit the mark with the BlackBerry Bold 9650. Unfortunately, that mark wasn’t very high. As a messaging-centric device, the Bold is great. However, being a great messaging device isn’t enough anymore to capture the consumer end of the market. As competition from Android and other platforms becomes stronger, RIM needs to innovate and add something truly unique to the experience in order to stay relevant.

The 9650 is an improvement over previous generations, but it’s only a marginal improvement over the Tour and no improvement over the Bold 9700.

It’s hard to look at the Bold 9650 and the competition and make an unreserved recommendation for the Bold. If you’re a business user it’s a different story, but for consumers, I’d say check out the competition before jumping aboard the BlackBerry bandwagon.

Pros:

• Feature-laden CDMA equivalent to Bold 9700
• Strong Gmail integration
• Can roam outside of the U.S.

Cons:

• Tired styling
• Jumpy trackpad
• Awkward charging port placement

People should think more about factors that need to be taken as the consideration in choosing the best mobile phone for them. Actually, even the most brand new mobile phone still has the weaknesses. Nothing is perfect, so as the mobile phone. So, people should be carefully enough in choosing the best mobile phone for them. One thing that is really important that should be taken as the best consideration is that you have to consider about the mobile broadband. This is very important, because somehow brand will give you extra points for your mobile phone. It is good for you to get the trusted and guaranteed brand, so that your mobile phone will have something like the guarantee thing if it is broken or something.

However, now, if you are happened to be very passionate about music and wants everything to connect with music, you not need to be worried anymore, since now, the development of the technology has made the brand new products of the mobile phone, which later will allow you having walkman, so that you are able to listen to the music and receiving same calls and messages at the same time. Yes, there is now iphone deals that you should be taken to be the best consideration of your greatest passion. So, now, it depends on you what you are going to choose.

The Sony Ericsson Zylo is more than just a Walkman phone. The company recognizes the popularity of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. This is why they integrated into the phone applications that let users access these sites. More than this, the phone has other features to boast about. You can find the latest Sony Ericsson Zylo offers at Moby1.

Managing Files

The phones internal memory is only 260 MB. For those who think that this storage capacity is not enough, they can expand it with a microSD card which can reach up to 16 GB. This is ideal for audio and video files. The phonebook of this device can store up to 2000 entries. Photocall feature of the phone allows users to put photos in their contacts.

Users can transfer data to other mobile device through cellular networks via Class 10 GPRS and EDGE. They can also connect to other compatible devices and gadgets in the area through USB v2.0 for cabled connections and Bluetooth v2.1 for wireless ones. You can find good deals for this phone when you compare mobile phone deals online.

Entertainment

The phone comes with a 3.15 megapixel camera. This camera has geo-tagging feature that allows users to tag information into the photo. The users can also shoot videos using this camera.

Apart from the camera, the device has FM radio with RDS. It also has Walkman player that supports different formats of audio files. It also supports Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) format which is said to produce better audio quality than MP3. This is a first from a Walkman phone. Another popular application of this phone is the TrackID feature. Through this application, users can record songs currently playing in the background. The phone then looks up the title and the artist of the song.

This feature is so popular that over 129 million lookups have been recorded in 2009. The standard feature of Walkman phone which is the PlayNow permits users to download their favorite songs whenever they want and wherever they are. If you are thinking of getting this phone be sure to look for the mobile phone with free gift.

The Screen

The phone comes equipped with a 2.6 inch TFT screen. It can display up to 256K colors. The screen has resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. This makes it ideal for viewing videos and images. The screen of the phone is made of materials that make it scratch resistant. The screen features the accelerometer sensor which automatically rotates the images when the phone is rotated horizontally or vertically.

Although the phone is not exactly a high end phone, its features fair well with mid-range mobile phones. Its also rumored to have an affordable tag price which may seal the deal with consumers.

Before we get started in earnest, a quick note. There are two versions of this device: The standard X2, generally known as the X2i, and the North American version, called the X2a. I received the X2i, since the X2a isn’t widely available yet. The difference is the 850 MHz band, a common distinction between North American and European/Asian market devices. However, there’s an extra little difference here. Unlike the other model where the European version lacks the 850 band altogether, the standard X2 does feature support for 850 MHz, but not 850 MHz 3G. It’s a subtle, but critical distinction. In my area, almost all coverage is 850, including 3G. This means the X2 doesn’t get 3G coverage in areas I’m used to having it.

The X2a will feature 850 MHz 3G, fully suited for AT&T, Rogers, and most other North American carriers. However, you’ll also pay a few hundred bucks more for the privilege. Since this is the only difference between the X2i? and the X2a, I’ll be addressing them collectively as the X2 for the duration.

On to the meat of the review.

DESIGN & BUILD

The basic design and even most of the internal hardware specs are the same between the X2 and the older X1. Both are sliders, with horizontally-oriented sliding keyboards.

Side-sliders are never ideal for dialing, and that’s definitely this model’s biggest weakness. Touchscreens aren’t ideal for hurried dialing. Still, it’s no more uncomfortable than the iPhone, which doesn’t seem to be lacking fans. And for those of us who use our devices more for Web browsing, e-mail, and data use than for voice, the X2′s design provides a lot of screen space and a fine keyboard.

Generally speaking, the X2 is very well-designed. The slider mechanism feels robust and the keyboard’s keys have a good click. The sort of double-beveling on them provides a good feel under the fingertips, even though the keys themselves are all pressed together.

The stylus is basic and kind of small, but it doesn’t slide or collapse, which is good. For most things I simply preferred to use my fingertips, but with such a high resolution screen that’s not always possible to do
accurately, so you’ll definitely need to pull out the stylus from time to time.

Despite packing in a nice 800 x 480 pixel screen, the X2 is still small enough, and ergonomic enough, that you don’t feel awkward putting it to your head.

Buttons and Trackpad
Althoughthe X2 and X1 have much in common, there aresome minor differences. For instance, the six angled buttons and standard directional pad on the front of X1are gone, replaced by four membrane-type buttons and an optical-scanner trackpad.

Admittedly, I never got a chance to use the X1, but this strikes me as a downgrade. As with other optical pads I’ve used, the X2′s directional control suffers from a complete lack of tactile feedback, making it really easy to move multiple times, and making precision difficult. It gets better once you’re more accustomed to how the trackpad operates, so that you can move your finger more carefully, but it’s never completely reliable. Furthermore the membrane buttons don’t provide the same level of sensation that regular click type buttons do. Obviously these changes were made to try to more effectively mimic the iPhone, but frankly I would rather companies go with their own designs instead of attempting to look like something else.

Another reason to dislike the optical pad is that anything sliding over it will be read as movement, not just a finger. If the device is still on when you drop it in a pocket, you might be inadvertently inputting commands, like skipping around on your playlist, or who knows what else.

Etcetera
Sony Ericsson managed to find room on the otherwise compact design for a 3.5 mm headphone plug — and I didn’t realize until I used it again how much I missed not having to fuss with adapters, proprietary plugs, and all that. Just plugging in and going is such a relief.

However, the design is very practical, because that’s also where the X2 keeps its TV output connector. Yes, by plugging in the special cable that comes with the device, you can hook it up to any standard TV that takes RCA plugs for both audio and video.

This smartphonecomes with a wired hands-free set, of course, but this is mostly a courtesy, since it’s a little awkward to set up. Bluetooth is still the way to go for most people who need a hands-free system.

PERFORMANCE

When it was unveiled, the Xperia X1 was ridiculously advanced. In late 2008, no other devices could touch it. It’s a testament to how ahead of its time the X1 was that it’s successor has specs with few changes almost 18 months later.

However, while nothing could touch the X1, the Xperia X2 is not high end like its parent. While there are other comparable devices from HTC and others, the X2 still manages to impress. Its 528 MHz processor is probably the lowest end component in it. And for reasons unknown, Sony Ericsson lowered the memory from 512 MB of flash to 256 MB.

Wireless and More
What else is inside that compact little case? Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, GSM/HSPA, of course. Can’t have a high end gadget without those.

The GPS system supports geo-tagging, so that you can embed GPS coordinates into photos you take with the 8 MP camera. I already mentioned the TV output capability via the included adapter cable.

We’ve also got the little things, like the built-in accelerometer and a microSD/SDHC slot — the latter of which comes already filled with a 4 GB card out of the box. Not the largest thing in the world, but enough to getyou started if you don’t already have one.

And there’s an FM radio receiver with RDS, which we’ll hear about a little more under software.

Overall, my opinion of the X2′s hardware and design is positive. Despite a less-than-ideal directional controller, the device itself is compact, feels great in the hand, has a solid keyboard, and is well-balanced. I’d go so far as to say that it’s one of the best examples I’ve seen of an ergonomically sound side-sliding device.

Software
…And here’s the onion. Although the Xperia X2 has awe-inspiring hardware, its software fails to match up.

Let’s start from the most basic impression one gets after using the device. Despite having a 528 MHz processor, it lacks in overall speed. It’s got the same processor speed as the HTC Touch Pro, but the Touch Pro has a smooth and easy-to-use interface, while the X2 consistently lags, is slow to change screens, and generally feels frustrating.

But the even bigger problem is this: Sony Ericsson’s integrated software bundle is simply not good. The “panels” interface that is provided with the phone is needlessly complicated, featuring an unintuitive means of switching between views that lets the user get lost trying to navigate around his device.

The developers also added some unnecessary layers in between the user and simple functions like playing music. I’m not exactly endorsing the old “tap counter” approach to developing a user interface, but you do at least have to ask yourself, is adding more software helping or hurting the complexity of performing simple tasks?

It doesn’t help that Windows Mobile 6.5 Pro has several bad design decisions in it, like the hex grid for the application launcher, which isn’t attuned to how a normal person looks at a list of items and which gets really messy when you switch to landscape mode, since icons can be juggled around in a completely counterintuitive way. It would have been nice if Microsoft had provided an option to switch back to the “classic” icon view. As it stands, they’re forcing bad UI decisions on the rest of us because they feel like being avant-garde.

The bottom line is that the software, in clear contrast to the hardware, feels unfinished. This sense, like they rushed the X2 out the door before the debugging was really done, is heightened by the fact that the internal FM radio doesn’t work. It won’t be available to the user until the first official system software update hits the streets.

That’s the bad news. Here’s the good news: Sony Ericsson has already released the schedule for two upcoming software updates to this Xperia model. One will be released in March, which will include the FM radio and a number of other things like faster GPS fixes that should have been done before the device left the factory. The second, slated for May, is simply marked as including Windows Mobile 6.5.3.

Whether these updates willfix the problem, no one can say. I certainly hope so.

Camera
Onthe bright side,Sony Ericssonincreased the camera resolution from 3 megapixels to a whopping 8 MPx.

Like many high-end phone cameras now, this one has auto-focus, making it practically a “real” digital camera. Of course, the quality is a little less thanwhat you’d get fromof a dedicated camera, and the “flash” (a small LED) is so weak that it’s a non-issue when it comes to lighting. Still, the X2 can take some awe-inspiring pictures compared to your average camera phone.

CONCLUSION

I want to give the Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 a glowing recommendation. It has features and qualities that make it easily one of the best slider-type devices available. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend anything with such a haphazard software package.

If you’re willing to be patient and get an improved ROM from Sony Ericsson, or fiddle around with the highly unofficial customized ROMs that are sure to come along given a little time, then the X2 has the potential to be a top flight device. If you want something that runs right this second, out of the box, you’re likely to end up a bit frustrated.

The Xperia X2 can be found at several online retailers, including eXpansys USA, who is charging $630.

Pros:

• Razor’s edge hardware
• Great ergonomics

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