Inside View from Ireland: 12.1 Megapixel Satio Convergence

I GET TO STRESS-TEST a SonyEricsson Satio on Wednesday and part of the routine involves a TV-out cable (see left) connected to a wireless SCART fitting. The end result should mean I can project a 12.1 megapixel image onto a wall--12 feet high and 18 feet long--without pixelating. I'm also planning to stream my Qik videos and YouTube videos on that wall since the Satio can run Symbian S60 5th edition programs with no special considerations. Its browser is fine and I have previously zipped around web screens and web feeds while using 3.5G speeds on the Satio before. On those occasions a few months ago, I used the Satio for fewer than 10 mintues and was impressed by its crisp playback, rich 3.5-inch display and quick camera optics. No cameraphone in my arsenal works as fast as my SonyEricsson devices. Moreover, none can stream video to another device better than my SE phones. And the out-of-the-box annotated photo album capablities of SE phones have entertained audiences during my coffee breaks for the last three years.

This is a pleasant touchscreen device. It uses resistive touchscreen technology, the kind of scratch-resistant surface that I prefer to the easily-wrecked iPhone screen. But my preference isn't going to please others who need instant tappy-feely from an iPhone because you need to push the screen when making selections, not just touch it, as with capacitive screen technology. I like that, because it's the interface I used in glass cockpits and it's the kind of surface I prefer on my ceramic hob at home.

I can see why the iPod is eating dust. With 128 MB in my cameraphone and 16 GB of removeable storage, it's no wonder the venerable iPod is feeing the heat. I've put off upgrading my iPod to a colour video edition because at every Christmas, a more compelling multimedia phone fell off the shelf and into my Christmas stocking. The Satio is yet another reason not to buy an upgraded iPod. (That just means I'll get an iPod Nano and promise to start running again.)

Convergence! I've a lot of SonyEricsson gear and my life features several frequently-used Bluetooth components. I expect to connect the Satio to my HBH-980 earbuds and to the Bluetooth shotput speaker from SonyEricsson that I frequently pump up in my multimedia classrooms.

Check back in a few days and see if I've updates about SE's Satio after I get another hands-on session using it.

Bonus Link: Using the Satio.