Sony Ericsson Satio U1i Mobile Phone

Sony Ericsson’s mobile phone had been a long time coming and my initial interaction with the device at their event in Singapore, outside of the CommunicAsia event, was quite good. The specs showed us all that it had a lot of potential and although SE was the first to announce the 12MP lens and the Idou aka Satio handset, Samsung beat them to the shelves with their Pixon 12. The Satio made its way to our labs and this is my experience with Sony Ericsson’s first 12 megapixel handset.
Form Factor

Considering it’s a camera phone of this caliber, it’s not a Cyber-shot. The handset is a bit on the bulky side because of the camera module at the rear that hides the lens and Xenon flash behind a very smooth pop-sliding lens cover. The large 3.5-inch display is crystal clear and makes interaction with the handset very easy. On one side are a set of dedicated camera function keys that include – Zoom/Volume, gallery view, video to still switching and of course the shutter release. The camera automatically activates when the lens cover is slid back.

On the other side is the slider lock for the display and Sony’s infamous proprietary universal connectivity port. It’s beyond me why they couldn’t just have a 3.5mm handsfree port somewhere on this device. It’s not like there’s a lack of space. However the charger cable’s pin has another port attached so you can connect your handsfree while it’s charging. The standard 3.5mm port would have been better in my opinion. The Satio also uses a microSD card instead of an M2 for extending memory.

It’s not really a bad looking handset, however it is bulky with a depth of 13mm but weighs in at only 126g so it’s not too hard to carry around although it does show up as a bit of bulge in your pocket.

Features and Performance Interface

I do know that Sony Ericsson has recalled quite a few of the Satio and Aino devices because of an issue with the display malfunctioning, but this is the first time I’ve come across a test piece that didn’t have a problem that seems quite generic to the handset’s model. The display is very responsive and thanks to its size makes it very easy for navigation. The double tapping to access certain functions that comes with having a Symbian S60 5th edition OS and UI is a bit annoying but nothing you can’t get accustomed to with time. The Symbian browser still needs a bit of tweaking but is otherwise usable. Once again thanks to the large display, typing is a cinch. I loved using the large virtual QWERTY keypad.

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Sony Ericsson tried to incorporate as much as they could to make it seem like one of their handsets. The media screens offer a very SE styling with auto rotation, but the accelerometer thankfully works for almost all features and functions of the handset. I give that a double thumbs up. The UI is relatively smooth and quite speedy and colorful thanks to the ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz processor and PowerVR SGX graphics that are part of the handset’s make up. Like other S60 handsets the desktop can be customized with shortcuts to various apps for quick and easy access.

Media
When it comes to music I was disappointed to find that this Symbian player did not come with a set of EQ presets. That’s a real bummer to be more accurate and an insult to the Symbian or any other SE handset for that matter. Considering the hefty price tag you’d think simple functions you’d find in Rs. 3000 handsets would be included. Very disappointing! The handsfree is comfortable to use but the decibel level was too low for my taste although I have no complaints whatsoever about the quality of the audio.

The Satio reads MPEG4 and 3GP video formats including iPhone resolution videos which incidentally look just awesome on the large display. But once again the low volume was an issue.

The handset’s built in Stereo FM radio worked out just fine providing pretty good reception almost everywhere I tested it. SE has included their TrackID feature to be used whether with the radio or independently with the microphone. A voice recorder is also present for leaving voice memos.
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The Satio is well prepped for connectivity but strangely it isn’t equipped with any Social Networking functions which is again a very disturbing fact considering the price range it’s in or how important that particular feature is today. The IM download section offers Google Talk and that’s about it. You’ll have to find third part developers for other apps like Twitter or Facebook etc. You can upload or get images from Picasa though and use eBlogger service, but that’s about it. A YouTube app is also on board. Most apps designed for this OS are found on Nokia’s Ovi store and the Satio is not a compatible handset. Surprise! Surprise!

It’s a 3G enabled handset that’s capable of HSDPA speeds up to 7.2Mbps. We’ll have to settle for EDGE and GPRS speeds for the time being. It also offers Wi-Fi for when available and Bluetooth with an A2DP profile as well. For PC connectivity USB 2.0 serves its purpose very well. Google has included its Search feature and Google Maps. I had to download the Google Mail app as I’m not a fan of the S60’s built in POP and IMAP email interface. Sadly the Gmail app is not optimized for the device either.

GPS is also a feature that can be used with either Wisepilot (30 days trial) or Google Maps. RoadSync is a handy app for when you need to back up your data. It works great with MS Exchange to access our Outlook email etc.

Misc. Features
The handset is otherwise decently equipped with all other basic functions like a Calendar, Calculator, Dictionary, Notes application, converter alarm etc. A few extras that are thrown in include a read only version of QuickOffice and Adobe’s PDF reader. Both work out quite well thanks again to the device’s large screen.

Camera
As far as I’m concerned the 12 megapixel camera is by far the best feature this handset has other than the brilliant display. It’s rich with features and functions from adjusting white balance, lighting and effects to high profile options like image stabilization, scene modes, auto-stitch Panorama, face and smile detection, geotagging and even touch focus and Sony’s Best Pic function. The Xenon flash makes a huge difference when it comes to taking photos in dark areas. Image quality is very good. From macro to landscape and portraits, the pictures appear quite crisp and clear with colors that are retained quite well.

Video resolution isn’t as high as I’d expected. In fact the Satio is only capable of recording videos at VGA resolution (640 x 480) at 30 frames per second which is quite average and we’ve seen 8MP cameras that do better. An LED light is provided to help lighten up dark locations (only a bit) when shooting.

Battery
The Satio’s battery life is not bad at all. With basic usage that included a few short calls, messages, net activity (since there’s no social networking) and music. I was able to use the handset for a little over two days before I was forced to charge it. That’s not bad at all. Talk time averaged in at over 4 hours and 20 minutes. So the Satio did quite well in this department.

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The Bottom Line**
With a price tag as high as Rs. 35,950, the Satio with its 12 megapixel camera doesn’t quite cut it. It has a lot to offer in terms of features but also lacks quite a lot of the same like a proper application for navigation, EQ presets for the audio player and most importantly, preloaded social networking apps. The display, camera functionality and battery life are just not enough to compensate for the burden this will bring to your bank account. The Pixon 12 could be an alternative in this case at a much lower price, but it also has its own hang-ups.