I already got my set last weekend. Got it at RM1480 (AP set) and the sales package is quite comprehensive. It includes a original SE bluetooth handsfree receiver. Be cautious that some traders remove this item from the sales package in order to give you a more competitive price. Manage to get screen protector and carrying case (3rd party) also. Although this is my first UIQ symbian phone, it is a joy to use. The D-pad makes it more intuitive than previous UIQ phones relying main only touch and jog dial.

It only supports WIFI B (as indicated at the box) and it does not have HSPDA/3.5G. Only the regular 3G speeds. But that is not important because I rely much on the WIFI capability. Get this G900 (be it AP or original) because it is really different. My first impression was that UIQ phones are laggy as indicated by many online sources. But after viewing youtube videos of this G900, its the other way round. Its smooth and speedy especially if you turn off transitions. The UI is very nice too!

Lowyat 1st Floor "Gadget something"

Well, P1i is a good phone. But I heard a lot of about the lagging UI. But I guess its a good trade-off when compared with G700. I'll pick P1i in this situation.

Well, I don't own both the G700 and P1i so I am not in a position to tell. But I did demoed the P1i before at one of Sony Ericsson's stores. Initially the P1i is sluggish but once all the applications have been loaded in the memory (they don't really close the application when you exit, just minimized), its pretty smooth and snappy.

The same applies for G900 but I am quite sure that the applications and the OS has been optimized for G900 for faster operation. If you would read around Esato, many indicated the following possibility:

1. Slightly revamped application processor and OS optimization to use the 2D/3D hardware accelerator by PowerVM.

or/both

2. Heavily optimized UIQ3 Symbian 9.1.

I am inclined to support both because the OS has optimization for thumb/finger operation. You can use your finger throughout the whole UI. Also the transitions are smoother, etc.

B and G is the shortname from the WLAN/WIFI standards derived from 802.11b and 802.11g. In short, WiFi B allows speeds up to 11Mbps while WiFi G allows speed up to 54Mbps with better coverage due to better radio modulation. WiFi B usually supports 128bit WEP while WiFi G allows better security using WPA, etc.

In my opinion b or g, it is not important. The reason is because I don't see using security encryption sensible on a portable device with limited processing power and battery power. Also download speeds depends on the telco connection to the WiFi base station. If it is running on a 2Mbps ADSL/DSL/cable connection, do you think it'll flood your 11Mbps WiFi b? Do you honestly think with your UIQ 208MHz and its baseband processor able to sustain a continuous data streaming of 11/54Mbps up and down the link?

As long as there's WLAN capability that allow me to do some simple IM, browsing and downloading, I'm satisfied.

Its probably a hardware limitation because it reuses a lot of the P1i/W950 hardware platform. Or it could be not supported by the current firmware. A lot of sources in the internet support the fact that G900 is using a slightly different hardware platform. So... just take it as a pinch of salt.

It really depends on what you want out of a phone. Both models targets a specific consumer market that is different from each other; G900 positioned as a N-series equivalent, do-it-all multimedia device while the N82, although has similar objectives, extends its functionality to give you superior mobile imaging quality.

Both model uses different variations of the Symbian OS, G900 using UIQ touch interface while the N82 uses S60 platform. Between this two, I would have to say that S60 is pretty reliable and matured now. It has been proven many times to be ahead in terms of new developments and updates.

If you expect good pictures or like taking good pictures, N82 is no doubt the device to use. Also, if you're a internet junkie that relies much on its WIFI connection, N82 is the choice too. Although G900 also has it, N82 has a full blown Nokia Web Browser that is fast and efficient. Nothing comes close to it and it still ahead of the competition (except for iPhone's Safari browser).

However, if you like a balanced device from a slim form factor to comprehensive functionality, G900 is no doubt a smart choice especially if you like the touchscreen capabilities and the need to write scribble short notes. You can do this quickly in G900 while the N82 do not have this feature due to the lack of a touchscreen. Its not as fast as N82 but it does it pretty OK. I really like the Media Center Cross Bar UI and the multimedia capabilities.

Its a touch call but both is a good product. No matter which you choose, you'll be stuck with an excellent device which make you a smart customer no matter what.

Well actually G900 is by no means a slouch compared to the N82. The only down point is that its browser isn't as good as N82, the Nokia Web Browser which is based on webkit (Safari is also based on it too). The good news is Digia is working on a touch UI browser for UIQ by porting webkit from S60. Just this month it has released a public beta browser, Digia @Web. Try it out, I heard it is as good as the Nokia Web Browser. Don't expect perfection though because it is still in beta and have a lot to improve.

Any place with WiFi G will have backward compatibility to WiFi B as stated in the 802.11b/g standard. Both G and B operates on the same 2.4GHz band which makes it possible and also 802.11g has provisions for interoperability with 802.11b too. You'll only come to a problem when encountering a hotspot running on WiFi A which operates on 5GHz frequency band. However, WiFi A isn't the norm in Malaysia so I don't expect any problem with it.

Another disadvantage of WiFi B is it is not capable of running WPA (technically). You're only limited to WEP which is not as 'safe'. Like I said in the previous post, I don't think anyone of us would want to run encryption and decryption on a phone that has limited resources. If we want to run some mission critical application, it would be best operated on a standalone PC.


Yes, agreed. Its a gimmick folks. I don't think our ARM9 processors running 208MHz could sustain a file transfer from PC WIFI G let alone B, fast enough. It'll definitely slow down to a crawl and it'll be impossible to fill the whole pipe. The same goes for HSDPA (running on a phone).

However, when running as a modem it is on a different note. It'll be relying on its another baseband ARM9 processor. Basically the transceiver will be at work, not the application processor. Anyone studying DSP will know what I mean here. Dedicated DSPs are pretty strong and efficient. The reason application processor can't go as fast is due to the architecture, OS overhead, memory and other interfaces latencies.

It is already working on my G900 now. UIQ version of the Garmin Mobile XT + Malsingmaps + Holux M-1000 BT GPS receiver. Have been using it for the past few days. The G900's transflective display is really useful here as it contrast and colors do not get washed out during day driving. Just as good as my N95. However, the G900's processing capabilities aren't as fast as the N95 so the updating/redrawing of the map isn't as responsive as N95's.

All I can say is, it is working as a full-fledged GPS application.

Well its too early to tell. So far there's nothing serious. Its pretty stable for me even though this is my first time experience working with an UIQ phone. Used to hear a lot of stability problems with the UIQ since the P990 era but so far, the G900 has been promising.

Yeah, I prefer the D-pad more than the jog dial. The jog dial is useful with the P1i because most of the program icons are arranged in a list order. I think its most effective for scrolling a long list. The D-pad is better suited for grid arrangements of icons. I think it is the easiest to use for a new/typical user.

Actually the G900 can be thought as a product positioned below the P1i. The P1i has been revolutionary with the semi-qwerty keyboard and the jog dial like any flagship SE UIQ phones. The G900 however was targeted to users emphasizing on multimedia capabilities and so the usual T9 keypad and D-pad is the best combination for a non-business-critical user.

Yeah, availability of dark brown is near zero. I still haven't come across someone using the dark brown or a retailer displaying this color yet. It is not available officially yet, the currently available ones are AP set. At least these are generic phones and not branded ones from other region. Take note that a typical sales package includes the bluetooth handsfree while some remove this item in order to offer a lower price. Current AP sets have Chinese character creation and reading of SMS as well as the usual English language so do insist on getting the proper set.

Although current AP sets are sold at the region of RM15xx (+/-100), we have no idea what is the pricing model for the original authorized set. I hope it is not lower otherwise the current AP price is like taking advantage on us for being first-to-market. Then again, we pay the price for owning it first and for buying AP. Kekekekeke!

Well assuming that the AP price is valid and correct, traditionally the original authorized unit will be higher. After all, authorized phones have always been higher than AP price due to lack of manufacturer warranty and other related stuffs. Price of authorized phones is usually RM100-500 (depending on unit) more expensive.

However, we need to consider that the SE G900 is positioned lower than SE P1i which selling around RM15xx now. So it still doesn't doesn't make sense to be higher or lower than AP price of RM1400-1500.

4GB is definitely ok with the G900. No words about 8GB SDHC though. And I agree that with enough light, G900's imaging capabilities are sufficient. However, for low light I still prefer N95.

Well so far there are no scientific evidence that suggests that a higher SAR value will affect our health. The SAR value is a benchmark established with the purpose of helping us understand the amount of electromagnetic waves absorbed by bodily tissue. It does not discuss on the effects as a result of this.

I would have to agree with you that the signal reception is only mediocre but it is highly dependent of what telco network you're connected to and the geographic position you're at. Other than that, yeah signal reception is a little poor.

Actually the SAR is a very confusing benchmark. The procedure of measuring SAR is tricky too. For example, if a mobile phone has its antenna located at the bottom of the phone away from the user's face, the resultant SAR value will be a lot lower. In comparison, if the antenna of the mobile phone is located on the top of the phone just below the mobile phone speaker, the SAR value will be higher.

Now the transmitting power from the phone must be high enough so that you get good reception and audio quality. Otherwise your phone will keep on searching for telco and end up using more battery power to stay connected to the telco base station. So most manufacturers will try to strike a balance between transmitting power, battery consumption and SAR value. They'll try to locate the best position to fit in the antenna without increasing SAR value too much.

We now have 50 years worth of history using wireless phones and so far we don't have a string of people dying of cancer yet. So I'm not concern. However, having said that we should practice good rationalism when it comes to these issues. Like reducing usage of mobile phone because they help us save money more than our health

If SAR value of mobile phone is destructive, wait till you see gadget freaks sticking their bluetooth handsfree on their ears! Hahaha! 2.4GHz electromagnetic waves pounding to and fro their handsets next to their genitals. Wait till you see that SAR value. Also, what about people living below those base stations? What about people living close to high-tension electrical cables that also emits powerful electromagnetic waves? What about the car that you drive? The spark plugs emits high powered waves too. Your iPods, in-house WIFI with those high gain antennas, radio sets, and walking around the street where our air is filled with noisy communication wireless link?

To be honest, you're right. It is like a microwave oven, but a very low powered one. Why do I say that? Lets look at the building construction material used for building shopping malls. The industry calls it sandwich, where we pile one floor on top of one floor and supported by beams and columns of concrete. Inside these concrete are hollow spaces filled by metal cage. The floor is filled with metal cage to increase surface support and spread the weight evenly. These cages in electromagnetic theory effectively makes it a Faraday Cage. It creates a shield which EM waves cannot escape or enter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage).

So if you would try to visualize, it is like a cave where EM or sound waves travel and bounce around creating echos. That is why we need more repeaters inside a building than outside in the open. Because these echos cancel each other out diminishing transmission power.

Alright, I'll let you guys relax. My point so far is, we've exposed to these 'potential dangers' all the time. If history is of any indication, we see no adverse effects yet. So no need to worry so much. Just enjoy your phones. (Fingers crossed )

But I have bought a 2GB M2 card which is at market price but do not know if its a counterfeit product. So how?

So far it is working as it should. Have been stressing it with large pool files for read and write as well performing per sector disk scan. Seems ok to me. Lets hope it will continue to serve me for the lifetime of the phone (which is around 1 year, hahahaha! ).

Yeah, no choice also lar. Unless we go out and wear aluminum coated clothing lar. Then we're shielded. But don't walk in the rain though.

Anyway just tumpang this thread, anyone interested to get G900 can get from me. I have one unit available. Go to here --> http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/726716 for more information. Thanks.

Actually I have already inform here that the actual package include the BT headset. But yeah, those sellers wanna swallow the bluetooth headsets and sell separately I guess. The past weeks, I saw one person selling HBH-PV708 in loose packs for around RM100. So better insist on the inclusion of the headset. Not that it is high-end model but it is pretty useful when driving or cycling.

It is an architectural limitation. To do 16.7 million color, SE would have to revamp its entire processor platform. Anyway I seriously doubt Nokia N-series can do 16.7 million real colors. Its more like color dithering process and near-pixel manipulation to give you that amount of colors. Granted the LCD must be able to support more than 262k addressing, the ARM9/11 used is only a 16bit MCU. So you do the math.

That is also the main reason why most PDA phones are limited to 65k colors on their LCD although many sported 262k capable LCD panels.

Ah, the usual assumption that one knows too much will be associated with whatever company he speaks on.

The answer is no because you can get these information from esato forums, gsmarena, mobile-review, etc. If you want me to speak on Nokia's platform, I am just as competent. Hehehe!

By the way, UIQ is an UI interface (with touch capability) that sits on top of the Symbian kernel. It is an extension to the Symbian OS just like S60. Both are Symbian. Now there's a good chance for a software to work on S60 will work with UIQ. Not all will though. You can find a lot of UIQ applications if you search hard enough. GPS navigation applications for example are available on all mobile OS platforms. Of course, it is not as robust and scalable as S60 but it has a pretty good track record so far.

Also most games that you download from internet or telco are J2ME based and they can run cross-platforms. Its essentially JAVA. The only requirement is that the resolution must be correct/match your display resolution and in some cases, the soft keys must be correct.

Then again, your friend is right to a certain extend. I am not a great fan of UIQ, in fact I am a new user. G900 is my first UIQ phone and so far my experience has been pleasant.

The stability is marvelous since I used to have a bad impression on UIQ-enabled phones. I chose the G900 because it was optimized for finger usage. So far it has not 'hanged' except for one time when I was scanning for WIFI hotspot while streaming from youtube. I guess that more like a user error. Other than that, it has been behaving reliably.

One thing I would like to see G900 improve is the smoothness of the UI. I saw a lot of video previews which shows the G900 having really smooth transitions. I think with new software update, its possible. Also the Messaging section is a little bit stuttering. Whenever, you touch on a message, it flashes a few times before showing you the content (more like refreshing the message). So I'm very sure thats a bug that can be eliminated.

I've tried loading a lot (and I mean A LOT) of programs into the memory. At one point I loaded more than 30 applications including GPS navigation software, games, bible reader, pdf reader, quick office, sms, mms, web with a few pages loaded including one with youtube streaming, media center, etc. The remaining memory still have around 25MB and I still get very quick response from the OS. I can still make a call and multitask (as in switching from one program in memory to another). The 128MB is virtually 'unfinishable'. Then I did one thing. I used Swiss Manager Pro and I hit the end all application. And it diligently quit every program one by one without any problem. Pretty robust. I am beginning to build the trust on the phone now.

I really like the transflective display which doesn't loose contrast when viewing in the sun so GPS navigation is very usable unlike my previous LG KS20 which fades so much you can't see anything but the screen.

This post has been edited by davidmak: Jun 25 2008, 02:20 PM

Worth definitely worth it one lar. But depends on how you see it lor. I can't say you should buy it or ignore it. Kekekeke! Later people will tembak me or say I work for Sony Ericsson or this handphone shop or etc. I'm selling one unit you see. So I am at a conflict of interest here. Kekekeke! Maybe more users should feedback to this thread.