Siemens SX1 Review

Introduction

Siemens SX1The Siemens Mobile SX1 created a buzz on websites and web boards not unlike the stir that Sony Ericsson's venerable P800 did in late 2002. With its large, easy to read screen, built–in camera, and fairly comprehensive multimedia capabilities, it has all the features needed to be a big success. Unfortunately, it's possible that the somewhat controversial key layout may hold it back from that success, as not everyone I showed the handset to was impressed by its layout. Using the same user interface found in the Nokia 3650 and 6600 and Symbian 6.1 OS, using it will be a fairly familiar experience to any user who has experience with other Series 60 devices. Look for the user interface screen shots and handset images in the gallery at the end of the story.

Physical Aspects and Display

Siemens achieved a good balance between size, shape, and weight with the SX1. Measuring 109mm x 56mm x 19mm and weighing about 115 grams, it falls into a similar "size class" as the Sony Ericsson P900 and the Nokia 6600. Not small, but still quite easily fit into the pocket. This is very much a personal choice for most users; some prefer the smallest devices like the SL55, whereas others are content as long as the handset has all the features they are looking for. The SX1 will win in this category as it has just about every feature a cell phone can have.

One of the things that immediately stands out is the 65k TFD colour, which has a 176 x 220 pixel resolution. It is bright and very readable in just about any lighting environment, from direct sun to absolute darkness (tested in my scariest, darkest closet). I have a couple of small issues in this department, though. For one, the screen takes too long to "wake up" after it has blanked itself. Additionally, it too quickly returns to sleep/power-saving mode. This isn't a serious problem, but while waiting for a web page to load for instance, the screen will go black after about 20 seconds of no input. When the joystick is moved to light it back up, there is an annoying delay as it lights up. I noticed the same behaviour in the Nokia 6600.

 

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