It's finally time to release this info, seeing as I've known about it for a few weeks now...

Some of the people over at the What Mobile forums are organising another one of their meetups in Birmingham on Saturday 9th April, and PlinkyKev has very kindly agreed to come along with one or two Sendo X2 phones to show off to us all.

Full details are available on the What Mobile Forums (http://www.whatmobile.net/forum) , but for those of you who aren't / don't want to register over there, here's the basics...

Date: Saturday 9th April
Time: 2.00 p.m. onwards
Place: Downstairs in "The Aussie Bar", otherwise known as The Walkabout on Broad Street, Birmingham, UK

Anything else...feel free to ask!
:)

great news!
too bad i live in germany, so i guess i won't be there...
please take LOTS of pictures for us who can't come, will you? :rolleyes:
i love that phone
Cheers
LosOutlandos

If you come to Spain to show it i´ll invite you to take some "tapas" :P

You can be sure there will be lots of photos taken... ;)

Does this mean the firmware upgrade is also ready?
It would be so cool to see a working X1!

Forgive me the sarcasm, but I just took my X1 apart so I could remount the mic and ppl actually start to understand me.

But you must agree, it would be cool if I could override the voicemail number, or stayed registered to the network after using gprs, or even if the phone would not 'hang' during charging while swithed off.

This doesn't mean anything about the firmware update for the X. It's a "private" showing of the X2, only available to those people who know about it. (hence why it hasn't been announced before now, nor more widely)

The X2 won't be out for a couple of months yet. I've no idea what that means for the X's firmware.

Does this mean the firmware upgrade is also ready?
It would be so cool to see a working X1!

Forgive me the sarcasm, but I just took my X1 apart so I could remount the mic and ppl actually start to understand me.

But you must agree, it would be cool if I could override the voicemail number, or stayed registered to the network after using gprs, or even if the phone would not 'hang' during charging while swithed off.
Hi,

Well, you can see a working X also, as I will bring one of them too, with a good recent firmware, that is undergoing testing.

But I suppose the main attraction will be an X2.

I'll be there from 2-6, as I need to drive back home that night.
So, no, I won't be getting drunk so you guys can "look after" my X2, in case I lose it :-)

Hope to see a few of you there. As for everyone else, hopefully the firmware will be out soon, along with the X2. Also, there will be a few extras on the download page soon...

pk

If we all gang up on him at once, I reckon we can take him (and the phone) :rolleyes:


Any chance you bring a few accessories along for people to buy at low prices?

If we all gang up on him at once, I reckon we can take him (and the phone) :rolleyes:


Any chance you bring a few accessories along for people to buy at low prices?
Well if Kev doesn't bring his, I'll drag along my keybard to let you all see what one loks like :)

Stuclark beats the Sendo drum again.... I wouldnt touch this phone with a bargepole.

Like many people in here, I dont give a SH1t about the new X, I'm just very pi55ed off that my X is quite frankly the worst phone I have ever had this misfortune to own.

StuClark is an employee of Sendo.

StuClark is an employee of Sendo.

Actually he isn't a Sendo employee, but I am.

Sorry you (and a few others) appear to have had bad experiences with your X, but there are quite a few more users on here who love it, and all of the features it has as standard.

If you browse the various other handset forums on AAS, you will see other users griping about handsets from big-name companies too. No technology is perfect i'm afraid. We have listened to the various comments and issues, and released updates to address these, which have been well received. Please be assured that more are to come.

Actually he isn't a Sendo employee, but I am.

Sorry you (and a few others) appear to have had bad experiences with your X, but there are quite a few more users on here who love it, and all of the features it has as standard.

If you browse the various other handset forums on AAS, you will see other users griping about handsets from big-name companies too. No technology is perfect i'm afraid. We have listened to the various comments and issues, and released updates to address these, which have been well received. Please be assured that more are to come.
Well said Kev.

As I've said numerous times before, and as Kev has confirmed - NO, I am NOT a Sendo employee, nor am I connected with them in any way other than owning one of their handsets. There are two Sendo employees on this forum, Kev is one of those, and the other one (although he hasn't actually said he is) makes it pretty obvious in his posts.

As Kev says, just look at the problems other people are having with other handsets. Look at the Nokia 6630 on Orange - SO BAD it had to be recalled! And look at the Nokia 6680 - delayed on ALL UK operators due to major software errors!

No one is perfect, no phone is perfect. But at least Sendo are listening to their customers - both the good and bad comments, and trust me, they're doing a LOT to make Sure the X2 delivers a lot to counter the earlier criticisms.

but do they succeed...

I haven't any problems with my Sendo (but then again I've only had it 2 days :D ). Every electronic device in exsistance has bugs or failings in some form or another - head over to PalmInfoCenter and ask anyone about the failings of the T5 - but only if you have a very empty email box. Besides, if you want a phone riddled with flaws - get a Win Mob....

please say you took 1 gb of pictures!

Yeah, We definately need some piccies up as soon as possible...

Yeah, We definately need some piccies up as soon as possible...
http://www.sendo.com/Sendo/ImageGallery/SendoX2ImageGallery.htm :tongue:

Nah, we want the reallife stuff! :)

here's a link to some pictures that were posted on the what mobile forum:
http://nathanducey.free-online.co.uk/mms/wmobmeet/
even on those shots you can make out the X2 is REALLY sweet!
Stu, please tell us you took a digicam (PLEASE, no phonecam shots!) and hundreds of pics of the X2!
i really like it ;)
Cheers
LosOutlandos

the x2 in those photos does look nice. in the pic of the menu the mp3 player seems to have been replaced by a music player. does this work better than the original x's, as in able to recieve calls when listening? and will this be in the current x's firmware update?

The X2 is an amazing phone! I wasn't able to take pictures of a lot of what I wanted to, as the firmwares aren't finished yet. The one in Ducey's pictures is plinkyKev's development handset, and I can report that buikd quality is amazingly good - i's literally twice as loud as my X (did a comparison with them side by side). The sceeen is amazingly bright - Super Bright on an X equates to Normal on an X2. For gamers, there is over 7MB RAM free with the phone running normally. Now! has seen some great improvements, along with the Music player integration. Mp3 has been renamed to music player because it now supports AAC and AAC+.

When this little gem comes out, people will be falling over themselves to get it!

Can we have some specs please? Total memory, Symbian version, bluetooth information, backwards compatibility with previous accessories?

The X2 is an amazing phone! I wasn't able to take pictures of a lot of what I wanted to, as the firmwares aren't finished yet.

->so you did take pictures? please post anything you have about the X2 (including opinions), i'm really interested!
thanks in advance
LosOutlandos

Total memory, Symbian version, bluetooth information, backwards compatibility with previous accessories?
~32 MB total memory, symbian 6, bluetooth 1.0, no backwards compatibility with previous accessoires except the headset.

Symbian 6.0?? Oh dear.

i think the hardware is basically the same as the X's, right? i think they left out the IR port this time (which is quite acceptable for me), and there's a mini usb connector at the bottom of the device.

I know quite a few PDA accessories use mini-USB as a connector. Could be useful for 3rd party add-ons.

There'll be more info coming soon on a new website I'm in the middle of writing, but for starters...

It's Symbian OS 6.1
65K screen
mini-USB connector
Bluetooth 1.1 (or is it 1.2, I can't remember?)
MP3, AAC, AAC+ audio support in the music player
1.3 MPx camera with 8x digital zoom
120MHz (I think) processor
Mini-SD slot (hot swapable, of course)
64MB RAM - 32 of which is file. 32 for the phone.
No IRDA
No camera flash

Opinion wise - it's a fabulous handset. The firmwares are obviously still being worked on, so stuff may not have the same look and feel as when it is released, but even at this stage, it's *much* faster than the X (and seeing as it's basically the same hardware platform, that's amazing) There's now something like 7MB of free RAM with the phone running just Now! (should keep most gamers happy)

Now! has seen a lot of updates, making it even more flexible than on the X. It has the option now to turn on or off the section headers (like Messaging, Call Record etc). The media player in Now! also looks fabulous. It supports text scrolling, so you can see the whole title / artist even if it's a long name. (Calendar in Now! also now supports text scrolling)

The sound is out of this world - literally twice the maximum volume of the X (tested by making them both run the same X demo and adjusting the X2s volume to match the X - I think there's a video of that on the What Mobile forums). Music player loads up songs *much* quicker than the X can.

The screen is amazingly bright, and even though it's the same colour depth and resolution of the X looks a *lot* clearer. it's also closer to the front of the handset, so doesn't have the same dust problems (I'm told) as the X does. Screen re-draws seemed very, very fast and smooth, with none of the flickering the X has.

The camera is very, very fast at updating. None of the slow shutter adjustments you see on the X. Framerate in Camcorder is also *much* better than on the X (although this app. clearly wasn't finished in the firmware I tested) There's a new game on the phone (which I think is going to ship with it) called Zombies - it lets you shoot things coming towards you, but you're actually looking through the camera (so things get overlaid on whatever you point the phone at) - great fun, and a way to shoot your mates in safety :)

Build quality, even on these pre-release versions, is A1. Very solid, no creaks when you press the back, very nice indeed! The keypad is easy to use, it takes only a couple of minutes to get used to the new key positions and shapes.

Overall....it's a very worthy sucessor to the X, and at the rumoured £150 SIM free, you absolutely can't argue against this phone! (the latest rumours are pointing to a June / July launch time, with at least one UK network already signed up to it)

thanks stu, the info is greatly appreciated! i can't wait till i get my hands on the device :rolleyes:
one thing: did you take pictures of the device? i saw the pictures on the what mobile board, but they didn't have good quality and there's only a few of them.
cheeerios
LosOutlandos

I thought there should also be an X there on the meeting. Could someone tell us how our old Xes did with the latest firmware?

Or is the firmware of the X2 the same as the new one on the X is going to be, which would be great!

Right now the X2 reallife stories sound as the X should have been :)

I hope someone can say something good about the upcoming X firmware, kinda waiting for the update here.

Sounds pretty good - a newer Symbian version would have been nice but hardware-wise, its sounds like Sendo have tweaked a good formula, rather than tried something completely different.

Yep, this phone is definitely an evolution of the X, in much the same way that Nokia, SonyEricsson and all the others re-use and extend a platform.

When the X2 ships, I think you'll all be very impressed by it!

in case some of you haven't seen them, here's a couple of shots of the X2:
http://www.smartphoneweb.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=219&Itemid=2

stuclark, plinkykev in his post earlier on this thread that he was bringing a "working x with good recent firmware undergoing testing" along with his X2. As most people on this forum already own an X any chance of giving a rundown on this? I think Mawhiskey asked you the same question. Thanks.

do any of you guys know if the software that comes with the X2 is the same as the X's? (like opera, the document viewer, realplayer, ...)
i understand this is more of a "value" phone (not regarding the features, which i love, but the pricetag), so i could imagine that the software package installed on the phone would be less extensive.
i hope i'm wrong though ;)
kudos
LosOutlandos

stuclark, plinkykev in his post earlier on this thread that he was bringing a "working x with good recent firmware undergoing testing" along with his X2. As most people on this forum already own an X any chance of giving a rundown on this? I think Mawhiskey asked you the same question. Thanks.
Ok, sorry, I missed that question.

Yes, I did see a newer X firmware. I'm not allowed to say too much about it as it's pre-release and may change from what I've seen, but I can confirm that the SMS counter bug is definitely fixed, and I am pretty sure we'll get some more free memory with the next firmware. As has been said before, current themes are in-compatible with the next firmware, but Sendo have re-coded all their current themes to work in the next version. (they work on the X2 as well)

I didn't get a chance to play with the phone too much, so can't comment on the MP3 call issue or network registration times.

do any of you guys know if the software that comes with the X2 is the same as the X's? (like opera, the document viewer, realplayer, ...)
i understand this is more of a "value" phone (not regarding the features, which i love, but the pricetag), so i could imagine that the software package installed on the phone would be less extensive.
i hope i'm wrong though ;)
kudos
LosOutlandos
From what I've seen, the only differences are in the pre-installed games. The rest of the phones' software is the same as the X. Opera is still the same, doc viewer is the same, Realplayer is the same etc.

So the X2 can take 1GB mini-SD cards. Is that the limit?

At CD quality, roughly how much music can you store in practice using MP3 or AAC? I believe AAC is more compact than MP3 isn't it?

Considering the X2 is competing to an extent with phones with hard drives and also with dedicated portable music players (iPod etc), wouldn't it be good if with a USB adapter, it was possible to hook up extra storage capacity, such as a portable hard drive, or USB flash memory (assuming 1GB mini-SD cards are comparatively expensive). I'm assuming the X2's OS or the hardware connections don't allow it though...

Hmm...I doubt it and it would put a lot of stress on the connector. I didn't know it was mini-SD only...

It's not going to be limited to 1GB cards - when larger sizes become readily available in mini-SD, it will accept them too. (remember it's basically the same as the X, which already accepts 2GB SD cards)

Yes, it is mini-SD only - this was done to save space.

No, it wouldn't be possible to use an external USB hard disk as extra storage - remember that the USB connector on phones isn't really USB, it's more serial than USB, as USB is a completely different interface to a phone's serial connection.

if the connector is not "real" usb, what speed will this serial interface offer compared to usb? i wasn't too fond of transferring 1gb of music onto the X2 via usb1.1 before, does this mean the speed will be slower than usb1.1 would be? isn't transferring music (and data) the main purpose of the mini-usb connector?
i'm sure it will work out somehow, either way there's always the possibility of using a card reader!
cheers
LosOutlandos

Yes, it will be slower than "real" USB, as the current X is. The main use of the connector on the X is to transfer data to / from the phone (be that music or other things) and this wll be the same on the X2.

The big difference though, is that the X2 will also charge from it's USB connector, so it will be possible to charge your phone by plugging it into your PC!

Yes, it will be slower than "real" USB, as the current X is. The main use of the connector on the X is to transfer data to / from the phone (be that music or other things) and this wll be the same on the X2.

The big difference though, is that the X2 will also charge from it's USB connector, so it will be possible to charge your phone by plugging it into your PC!
So does that mean that when you plg the X2 into a pc, via usb, it won't show up as a mass storage device?

Thanks

Simon

No it won't. The only Symbian phone which can do this at the moment is the Siemens SX1. (and it's not down to the shape of the connector on the bottom of the phone, it's to do with the communication methods used between phone and PC)

However, if I remember hearing a rumour correctly, Sendo might have something up their sleeve to make things easier on this front...I can't say too much about it yet, but you won't be disappointed!

The only Symbian phone which can do this at the moment is the Siemens SX1. The N-Gage (original) can (did/does) do this (for the memory card). Standard USB mass storage support, no additional drivers needed.

hey stu, how's the website you were speaking of coming along? :)

I know this is massively off topic (BTW I'm trying to get in touch w/ plinkykev to sort out a London meet for those who didn't/couldn't make the B'Ham meet) but I've got a USB 2.0 card reader that doesn't recognise the perculiar format of the Sendo SD card - is there any kind of 3rd party app that could help? It's just that transferring a colossal 300Mb film takes a very, very (cont'd ad nauseum) long time and I need a way to speed things up....

I know this is massively off topic (BTW I'm trying to get in touch w/ plinkykev to sort out a London meet for those who didn't/couldn't make the B'Ham meet) but I've got a USB 2.0 card reader that doesn't recognise the perculiar format of the Sendo SD card - is there any kind of 3rd party app that could help? It's just that transferring a colossal 300Mb film takes a very, very (cont'd ad nauseum) long time and I need a way to speed things up....
The Sendo X (and the X2) use FAT as the format for the SD card - it should be readable in any SD card reader, on any PC that understands FAT. I certainly have used my 1GB SD card in my PC and X without re-formatting.

As for organising a "London meet" - this IS going to happen - your best bet would be to register on the What Mobile Forums (www.whatmobile.net/forum) as that's where most of the discussions are taking place. I've personally already agreed a [preliminary] plan with Kev to ensure a Sendo presence at the meet up. - Likely dates are sometime in August at the moment.

I too can read the 512mb sd that i use in the sendo on a card reader.

OK - it seems as though my memory card is corrupted. I originally used it in a Palm device, where it played nicely with both XP and my Sandisk card card reader. I then put the card into my Sendo, which told me the card needed to be formatted. It did this, taking about 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour. THe phone recognised the card, with all its appropriate sub directories and whatnot. I then put the card in the reader, which told me that the card had to been formatted. I could not view anything on the card via windows and was reduced to sending a 80Mb file via Sendo Connect rather than my USB 2.0 card reader. Hopw do I format the card in windows to be FAT16 compatible, if that's what's required?

I have a 512 Mb SD card formated in a Tungsten T3 Palm working in the X without problems ¿?

Mesamune, it does sound like your card is corrupted...

To format as FAT16 on a Windows PC, stick the card into the reader and hit format - ensure you select FAT as the file system. It should default to FAT16, but look in the dropdown list to ensure it's not picking FAT32. (it shouldn't, as the card is less than 2GB in size)

:) We have lift off...

I've been reading this forum for a while now, with out gettin involved, and am really amazed that people from around the country meet up in "The Aussie bar" on broad street to see the latest and greatest sendo phone. Its amazing to see from when I joined as the 60th employee or something like that, working on a tiny little GSM phone (D800), when no one knew who Sendo were to people meeting up to see their latest and greatest offering.

Must say though my sendo x is awfull, need a new firmware update but im sure it wont get any better. Lets hope im proved wrong. :) I really do like it.

Yeah, me too :) Dunno why there should be a 10mp cam, 16billion colors screen etc in the x2. I bougt the X because of the combination of the os, mp3player, bt, sdslot, cool design :D I do hope my X will become more stable in the near future. It shouldn't just reboot because it can... ;)