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Review GSM-phone Siemens SX1. Menu and main functions

Review Siemens SX1. Summary>>

The menu is organized in a typical way for Symbian smartphones, you are free t choose the way the menu will be presented; a vertical list (icon and signature) or a set of icons being formed in rows. In my opinion second way looks better and is more functional, since there are more icons displayed at once, this makes the navigation easier. The icons can be sorted, Favorites menu is present too. Shortcut number navigation is supported. Nine shortcuts corresponding to the nine digital keys can be created.

Holding the “menu” button will bring up the list of running applications. Contact list or all calls list can be accessed by moving the joystick into the proper direction.

Siemens SX1’s peculiarity is redesigned order of menu that isn’t typical for Series 60 smartphones. Although it’s understandable, the menu had to be presented according to Siemens’s ideology. I will not say if it’s good or no, everyone has its own view and logics, and human being can get used to everything. This question is a matter of habits and will of discovering something new, educating.

Let’s review the basic functions of this phone.

Phone book allows entering almost unlimited amount of entries, since the free memory is the only limit here. Each entry can be filled with Name, Surname (two lines), Company’s name, Status, Phone Number, Cellular, Fax, e-mail – a total number of 8 fields.

Then, you can only add a text note and a photo, which will be displayed, while incoming call. It's possible to rename each field, for example substitute a job for a date of birth. Voice tags can be added to 30 names in the phonebook. This feature works well, no problems with the recognition.

Siemens SX1’s peculiarity is that incoming caller’s picture is shaped into circle; this means that it’s not rectangular. This is a nice move considering that it’s an element of appearance, nothing more.

The picture can be added very easy, just pick the one you need from the memory. The penu doesn’t have a function that allows taking picture directly from camera, but you can easily press the special camera key while choosing the picture and make a shot – it will appear in the contact field. Our samples had annoying bug with the usage of photo, it lead to the phone getting freeze, so watch out.

There are also caller groups here. You can associate a special ring tone with each of them. One subscriber can be recorded into several groups at the same time. No more actions are allowed by the standard software.

You can choose all notes from any of the menu list (contacts, messages list, etc.) at once or select the necessary ones. Unfortunately, you can't send your contacts in this way, you can just delete them. To send a note on the other phone you need to select it and choose a type of sending.

Log. Here is an access to the list of missed, dialed and received calls. You can set a period for the records to be stored (a month by default) and view a call type (voice or data), duration, date, time and number. Calls can be filtered according to their types (data, GPRS, voice, incoming, outgoing, messages). There are also counters of duration and cost of calls in this submenu. By the way, a call's duration is displayed on the screen while you are speaking.

Calendar. It has monthly view (days with events are indicated by the angle), weekly view (shows a schedule for each day) and daily view (also a schedule). Only three types of events are supported: Meeting, Memo and Anniversary. You can set an alarm signal to each of them. And this is all about organizer, no other settings or means of working with events, including viewing of all records, it's rather disappointing. But it’s opportunities will satisfy a lot of people.

To-do. A usual to-do list which allows you to write a job list, point a title and a date, set the priority (one of the three) and mark it when it's already done.

Calculator, currency converter are nice to use and are doing their job nicely.

Dictaphone. Records files in AMR format and can record your talks as well. Nothing special on the whole.

Today. Siemens SX1 peculiarity – this application combines all appointments for one day combined in one window – you see all things you have to do, organizer’s entries. Similar function is a part of MS Smartphone 2002 and newer OS.

Profiles. I believe that the title speaks for itself, and this function should not be described: everything is similar to simple mobile phones.

Extra. Here you will find “Memory” application that shows information about MMC card, allows formatting it. File manager is simple; it gives you an opportunity to make the most important operations with files. Please note how one of the folders is called, it’s a standard package, no changes were made. Sounds wild, imagine one of the manufacturers has a folder with its competitors name. But that’s not all, during the synchronization folder’s name is really big, and it’s hard not to notice it.

I’d recommend using FExplorer as an alternative for the default file manager, it’s one of the most useful and helpful software.

Java Ctrl – all Java applications are stored here.

Favorites – Almost any file can be stored here (note, image, sound), i.e. you create a shortcut that automatically goes to the favorites menu. This function is very useful sometimes.

World Time function can show time for three different cities. You can also setup alarm clock, it’s simple and will work for 1 time only, no other settings are provided.

SIM Phonebook – separate access to the phone book located on the SIM-card. These contacts are not seen in the common list.

Music. This section features Radio and mp3 player. Both applications are built on the same key and are convenient. Moving between the radio station can be done by one key-press, same goes for switching tracks. Displaying of ID3 tags is supported. Shuffle and Loop modes are present s well. You can define the backlight to be turned off when the player is working.

Games. Besides the earlier mentioned game TopGun there is another one – Sitris, which is a tetris clone. And the 3rd game is Mozzies, here you are shooting from a gun into insects flying at you, this game features revolutionary technology – the background is real-time image taken by the camera. During the CeBIT 2003 this game was shown on a separate device that was made especially for it. This is one of the cases when the shown technology found it’s realization in a device.

Messages. Pop-up windows with symbols appear during the text input. T9 is usual. SMS messages don’t support EMS, only Nokia Smart Messaging. On the whole working with SMS is plain simple and there’s nothing special.

MMS does not rise any questions as well, but the built in client better be replaced with something else, since the functions are weird. You can’t create several slides.

E-Mail client supports POP3/SMTP/IMAP protocols; it can work with Cyrilics as well (except for KOI8). On the whole the impression from using e-mail client is average.