Sony Ericsson Aspen: first with Windows Mobile 6.5.3
By Thomas Ricker 
posted February 2nd 2010 3:06AM
posted February 2nd 2010 3:06AM
Back to Windows Mobile 6.5.3 for a second, although this is a .dot.dot update it's actually a fairly significant move for Microsoft. For starters, this release now includes a more finger-friendly layout (no stylus needed even when digging deep into the OS), support for capacitive touchscreens (huzzah!), and acts as a platform to enable multitouch. Microsoft has also improved browser performance with faster page load times and better memory management while improving the pan and flick gestures and zoom and rotational speeds. Sounds like somebody is getting ready for Mobile World Congress.
@Koofteh the nexus one and moto droid/milestone are pretty good in that regard as well
@Koofteh
the thick bezel on the iPad is to hold it when using it so your hands don't cover the screen - that is good design. There is certainly not a thick bezel on the iPhone
@ritz Oh, I know what the Apple apologist camp has to say about the ugly thick bezel which belongs on a digital photo frame. Just like how all of you say Apple is right for excluding Flash from many of its products because apparently no device can handle running Flash for more than 2 minutes before crashing the whole system... except my magical one-of-a-kind netbook that gets used for Flash for at least 1.5 hours each and every day without any hiccups.
You don't need a bezel that thick to prevent accidental taps and screen inputs... I've never come across any device that had that issue, both devices bigger and smaller than the iPad.
And if you think the iPhone doesn't have an excess of bezel then find a picture of the HD2 and iPhone side by side and then come back and say that. There is so much wasted space on the iPhone, and it doesn't even have the excuse of needing that space for buttons since it barely has any.
Here, I even did the search for you. Lookit, the HD2 and iPhone are exactly the same size, except the HD2 offers a screen that is almost a whole inch bigger. But in Apple's defense the iPhone is now a 3+ year old design, bunch of lazy mofos.
http://www.tracyandmatt.co.uk/blogs/media/tracyandmatts_blog/windowslivewriter/htchd2review_b4f2/hd2-v-iphone-a_2.jpg
@mrqs
for balance.
and for people who don't have yoga training for their thumbs...
How long have they been keeping this from us - that newspaper is from November 18th last!
http://en.kiosko.net/eur/2009-11-18/np/int_herald_tribune.html
@beefiron Wow, what are you Magnum P.I.?
@MGDdrinker
ikr! lol
that was so awesome investigative work there lol
@MGDdrinker I think I could carry off the moustache, but the greyhound shorts might be a bridge too far.
Frequent visitors of Xda developers website will laugh at that title.
Its hard to go on when there's no one to lean on.
Keep the faith, keep the faith, lord we've got to keep the fa-ith.
If its cool for Bon Jovi its cool for me.
Still waiting for the HTC Trophy.
rumors about wimo7/zune on http://gizmodo.com/5461215/
Still loving my moto Q 9h.
From my sources, My Brain, this won't be out until mid 2011. Might be wrong tho.
looks like a Nokia E72
That's a nice phone, and if this is the update that makes WinMo good to use, then I wouldn't mind getting this. It's probably not worth the overpriced entry fee though.
elegant & beautiful phone, unlike those boring iphone wannabe android sh#ts.
i dont know what u guys,but i like the new windows.6.*.* whatever...
highly charged up for mobile world congress!!
Looks pretty slick. Wish it supported T-mobile 3G. :(
E71 knockoff
@Xoy And a horrible one I might add...
good looking phone
SE = WinMO + Symbian + Android
How come we dont see Engadget pointing this out as a mistake? When Nokia came out with N900 was the only FUD Engadget could spread.
Why is anyone still releasing WinMo 6.x phones and, more importantly, why is anyone buying them? These phones will soon be obsolete when WinMo 7 is released.
What's next? 6.6.2.1.9?
@bryn987
The next one is probably 6.6.6 finally followed by 7. The difference is going to be like hell and heaven between those two.
WinMo 7 won't be out till the end of 2010. If you need a WinMo device to hold you over for the most of 2010, this could do. The question is at what price point is it going to be offered. Here's hoping that it's going to be priced aggressively. As a point of reference, SE just rolled out a very reasonable S60v5 Vivaz for 400 Euro, if that can be of any indication. If Aspen comes out at $400 unlocked in US, I just might get it.
I really like the look of this phone, but I think I've always had a bit of a penchant for Sony Ericsson's designs, particularly some of their designs from a few years ago like the T610 and the K810i. In fact, there seem to be a few really handsome portrait QWERTY phones at the moment - this, the Nokia E72 and the Palm Pixi (and obviously Pixi Plus) are the first that spring to mind. Although I still enjoy using my iPhone 3G (well, most of the time), I might end up shifting to a physical portrait QWERTY phone if they make ones with a higher resolution screen - 320 x 240 is just a tad limited for browsing the web these days.