Siemens SX1 Review

Overall Rating

Radio
MP3 Player
STEREO headset
Series 60

Unusual Keyboard
Bigger than other phones - but similar in size to other smartphones

I've now had the Siemens SX1 for a couple of months and I have got to say it's one of the best things I've ever bought! For the review I'm going to split it into several sections:

Look and Accessories
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OK much has been made of the look of the SX1 and the placement of the keypad, but when you get used to it, it really is simple and easy to use. I'm a keen texter and I've got to say I'm certainly very happy with the keypad.

With the look of the SX1; it is quite big which doesn't really surprise me for a smartphone, with so many features - some may find it bulky, but I don't. With features you get a USB cable in the box along with a pair of Stereo headphones, which both work really well.

Features
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Features - where do I begin? Well it has a radio which can preset up to 6 FM stations. It also comes preloaded with an MP3 Player which can play MP3's. To get the most out of the SX1 though, you need a MMC card, these cost around £40 for a decent size (512mb), but will make your SX1 experience all the richer. For instance at the moment, I have a 50mb of movies on mine, along with about 250mb of audio. This really will make you chuck out your standalone MP3 player. If 512mb isn't big enough for you - there's now 1 GB versions (I'm sure bigger will come in time) as well.

The SX1 is based on Nokia Series 60 variant of the Symbian operating system. This means there's masses of programs available for you to download and use. For instance I installed an OGG player (Ogg is a format similar to Mp3) which made my life easier, meaning I didn't have to convert my whole audio collection to MP3. Games and all sorts are also available.

Siemens also regularly update the SX1 with new firmwares over the internet. Now not many companies feel they can release firmwares for mobile over the internet, basically because unscrupulous people decode them and change them - Good on Siemens I say.

Camera
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The camera on the SX1 is good, not the best but certainly not the worst. With recent firmware upgrades the camera program now has a night mode, which will allow you take pictures when it's darker. It spec is VGA with a resolution of 640x480.

It contains all the usual razzmatazz, you'd expect from a smartphone such as calendars, syncing with Outlook, etc.

Overall
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Overall this phone is fantastic! I wouldn't swap this phone for any model currently out by Nokia or whoever. If you can look past some of its negatives and get used to some of its peculiarities then you'll get no end of use out of the SX1.