By Rikard Skogberg
23rd June 2011.
10:36
Category Archives: interviews
A while ago we ran a competition on Facebook where our fans got to compete on being the first to review on of our two upcoming feature phones Sony Ericsson txt pro and Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman phone. Some of them got phones for review and finally four was selected as the finalists. The video reviews from these four finalists where put on Facebook where the other fans could select the winner by using the like button.
The assignment was a tricky one, record a video review that should show the phone in a creative and informative way – all this in only 45 seconds!
The one with the most likes was Pavan from India. Congratulations Pavan!
Here’s his review of the Sony Ericsson txt pro:
Some of my colleagues made a short interview with Pavan to get to know a bit more about him, why he entered this competetion and what he’s going to do with the prize:
Can you tell us a bit about yourself? – I am from Bangalore studying 3rd year Engineering course in Don Bosco Institute Of Technology.
Why did you enter the reviewer competition? – When I came across the review competition, I felt like this is something different, something unique, asking customers to make a review of a brand new phone. So I just had my 50 words submitted in seconds.
What did you think of the competition? – It’s the first time I have taken part in such a huge competition. Right from making the review video to the voting part I enjoyed every bit of it.
Have you always been a fan of Sony Ericsson? – Yes! I have always been a fan of Sony Ericsson. I love the walkman phones you make.
What do you usually look for in a phone? – Apps! A phone which supports a lot of apps would be an ideal phone for me.
What was your favourite feature of the Sony Ericsson txt pro phone? – I liked the Friends App and the threaded way of displaying messages. Both features make texting fun and easy!
Will you recommend the txt pro to your friends? – My friends are already excited to receive the phones!!!!!
What is your favourite Sony Ericsson phone? – My fav is the Xperia X10. One because it’s sleek and second I love the Timespace app it has.
Did you expect to get so many votes and great comments? – Initially I wished the judges selected the final winner, but as the voting went on I was happy to see my LIKES going up by 100 each day.
Now you have won the prize how are you going to decide on how to share the phones? – This is harder than winning the competition. I am waiting for the phones to decide on sharing.
I’m still amazed by the engagement found among you the readers of this blog. Since it started as the Satio Launch Blog in September last year many of you have been very active among the comments which really is what brings this blog to life. Of course the comment section is a place for you to ask us questions and let us know what you think about things and we really try to keep up and answer everything that we can. However some of you have really taken the comments section to another level by being there on a regular basis, helping us answering questions, engaging in discussions and sharing interesting finds from other places.
I can’t really thank you enough for that but at least I can highlight it from time to time with some examples 
So here we go,
Manish has been here among the comments since his first comment on September 9 2009 and recently he passed the 2000 comments mark! (That’s over 10 comments per day in average!) Truly amazing! To highlight this I contacted him with a few questions for this post. Here he is: Manish!
And here are the questions and his answers:
- Which is the comment you are most proud of?
This one goes really difficult for me and now when i’ve reached 2000 comments on this blog it’s even more difficult for me. But after a lot of thought, i guess my first comment, the comment as an applicant for the Satio Test Pilot! That was the first time i came across this blog and since then it’s been real good time for me. And m really proud of it. It has been a real great community and thank you everyone who has ever been a part of it.
- Who will be the first to pass 3000 comments?
Guess the one who buys a X10 and falls in love with it. Practically, it could be anyone, if you announce some reward program for it. Although, would love to see you at that landmark.
- What phone do you use at the moment?
At, the moment i use Sony Ericsson W700i. My First ever phone that i bought, when i first got into the college. I still love it!
- What phone do you dream of? 
Hmmm.. X10 with no second thought or even first! ( I guess any regular user of the blog would guess that. ) Although, a few years back i wanted SE to develop the ‘rumored W990‘, so that i could get my hands on it! 
With the Sony Ericsson Vivaz being our first model enabling HD-video recording I decided to try to learn some more on how this has been developed by our development department and if there were special difficulties or challenges around this. I found a colleague that has been heavily involved and asked him some questions.
Here he is – Fredrik Ågren
- Who are you?
My name is Fredrik Ågren and I am the software architect for video support on Sony Ericsson phones based on Symbian OS. I have been working with software platforms for mobile phones since 2000 and first joined Sony Ericsson as a consultant for the P800 model back in 2002. Through the years I have been involved in many of our platforms and products. Most recently I have focused hard on introducing HD video support in the newly launched Vivaz model.
- What was your responsibility when it came to the Sony Ericsson Vivaz
My responsibility in general is to lead the requirement analysis regarding video related features for upcoming models and identify feasible implementations. This means a great deal of interaction with our R&D sites around the world and also close contact with our suppliers which of course is great fun. When Vivaz was still in the analysis phase I worked pretty much full time on leading the HD support analysis. As the feature moved from prototyping into the implementation phase, I’ve also been leading other improvement work for Vivaz, for instance related to video streaming and video telephony.
- How good is Vivaz really when it comes to capturing HD-video, can you share things like average fps and things from analysis you’ve done?
The HD support on Vivaz is great. Vivaz can record HD video at 24 frames per second and we’ve focused quite hard on the picture quality as well. However, it is not a trivial task to secure such heavy processing all the time in a pre-emptive multitasking environment where the phone functionality always has the highest priority. One cool thing though is that we have equipped Vivaz with golden sample CPUs. These are special units from the production line that can run at significantly higher clock speeds when required. This provides the customer a sufficient margin for an always great HD experience with Vivaz.
- What was the biggest challenge in the development?
Sony Ericsson work with high standards so the most challenging part was not to deliver the basic functionality as such but to deliver it with the overall quality our brand requires and to make that happen in time for the product launch. There are many factors affecting the overall end user experience such as frame rate, bit rate, camera startup time, power consumption and the ability to maintain performance while multitasking. We have investigated HD support in previous models but Vivaz is the first opportunity we have had where we could deliver this feature all the way.
- What was most fun?
Most fun for me has been the international cooperation to get this support in place. For a long time we have worked closely with colleagues in Japan and China, so in the end this is really an international feature from Sony Ericsson. I have gained a lot of experience in foreign social and professional working culture and made good personal friends along the way as well.
- Any surprises along the way?
Yes, for sure things happen that you have not anticipated. Still I have worked with projects like this for such a long time so I try to keep that in mind. One example is the cost of getting our golden sample CPUs which in the early days was so high that it was not really an option for us. Still, we continued to focus on optimizations in software so that when the units eventually came at a more reasonable cost, we really had a great platform to work with. This was the time I realized we were actually looking at what would become an HD video enabled product. We work in a highly variable hardware, software and business case environment, so limiting factors one week may not be significant the next. One needs to have a long term goal focus with a short term agile mindset to take advantage of that.
- What kind of videos do you shoot yourself?
I especially use Vivaz for those spur of the moment situations when my two daughters Agnes (3) and Linnea (5) do funny stuff. Sony Ericsson has the slogan “Never miss a shot” and that is definitely valid for video as well. When the kids are all grown up, that’s when I will truly appreciate these clips.
Hi all,
Shortly we are moving into 2010 so we at Sony Ericsson wanted to take the opportunity to wish everyone that follows this blog a happy new year. 2009 has been a challenging but also an exciting year for Sony Ericsson. We have seen products like Satio and Aino hitting the market and doing very well. In 2010 we will see the launch of products like the Xperia X10 and with more announcements up our sleeves we feel very energized going into the next year.
When it comes to this blog we are overwhelmed by the huge level of activity and engagement from you guys when it comes to the interest in our products. It makes us very proud and pushes us to bring even more exciting stuff to the market for you to read about in this blog. Myself, Rikard and Sumit will continue to write but also watch this space for some new faces that we are sure will make this forum an even more interesting read.
As I mentioned your engagement is crucial to this blog and with this in mind I have interviewed the top two comment posters Noc and Manish. I think their answers sum up what this blog is all about. Please enjoy the interview below.
Best wishes for a Happy New Year!
The Sony Ericsson Product Blog
Interview with Noc and Manish:
What are your thoughts on being in the top of the commenter list on the blog?
NOC: Well, when I first posted I didn’t thought I’d come this far but here I am. I feel really good but mostly helpful to the rest of the members. My place in the top commentators is also due to all the discussions with everyone else who played their role in the blog. We all deserve the first place.
MANISH: Being on top is quite nice, and it actually feels good helping co-commentators! It’s not only bout me asking questions and requesting things, it’s also about sharing the information and helping others as well. I have learned a lot over here. It really feels good to know that I’m one of the most active members on the Official Blog for my Favorite Mobile Brand. Although, sometimes i felt “M i spamming here?”( cause me with Novica topped that list in just few weeks. ) SO, were those the quantity only or the quality? But rethinking on those notes and looking at the blog, i think it’s quality with quantity! ( I hope others will agree to this as well. )
And considering the fact that, i was not so active during ‘satio days’, i feel m really enthusiastic bout this phone. Would have loved to get hands on one of those pre-release units.
What does the blog mean to you?
NOC: The blog ha? Well the blog is my home page and it’s the first site I visit. it’s a place where I can follow ALL of the latest news and I am certain they’re true because it’s Sony Ericsson’s official blog. It’s a place where I can discuss everything that I want to and has something to do with Sony Ericsson. It’s a place when I can tell my opinion without the fear someone will judge me about it.
MANISH: It means a lot to me( and i actually mean it ), as you all must have noticed that m really enthusiastic about Android and that’s just to compliment X10. I Love X10 more than anything else. I’m a novice developer as well, so getting a platform like this blog to share your ideas and get inspired is like dreams coming true for me! To get first hand information from the Head of Department means a lot to me for sure. Getting those tutorials and those camera samples, i simply can’t stop thanking! I cannot imagine this kind of stuff from anywhere else on the internet. It’s such a good information source, and most of all, it’s the “Official” one, no matter what, i can blindly accept the facts mentioned here.
And how can i forget, I can request here for things that i would like to know bout the Product that Sony Ericsson is bout to launch( or even after ). And, the blog authors, who encourage us to do so, are really friendly. I love the spirit over the blog.
What makes you feel better – answering a question or getting answer to a question you have posted?
NOC: I feel better when I answer a question & I know I’ve helped someone. Sooner or later I’ll get all of my question answered. It’s way better to help somebody else!
MANISH: Well, that’s a tricky one! I think, i would go for the first option, I Love answering to the questions and to help others. It’s such a good feeling to know that, somehow my suggestion worked for my Co-Commentator. But at the same time, i love getting out of troubles as well, feel bad when i remain unanswered at the blog, somehow! 
( Although that rarely happened. )
I would always want to help the authors, to save some time to make more and more quality content for us.
In a year’s time – what developments would you like to see for the blog?
NOC: Hmm, this is a tough one If You’d ask me a month ago I would of told You that I wanted a forum instead of the blog but now I have changed my mind. It’s better this way if You ask me, it’s innovative, interesting, attractive and new. It’s like part of the “ make.believe” concept! But maybe just some minor interface adjustments, some minor ones
MANISH:To that question, first thing that strikes my mind is “Search Option”! I mean all the information gets deep down under those ‘Sea of comments’! I’ve seen this blog grow and i wish it keeps growing. More authors, are adding cherry to the cake. As, they say, More the Merrier.
But when you say, in a year’s time, i would definitely like to say that, a lot of things would change here with the dynamic mobile market. And one year is really too long to consider, for it. I expect a lot of changes, though! Expansion on categories is also what i see!
BTW, I love the way, this blog has introduced both ways interaction of Sony Ericsson and the End users. I hope this makes more out of it. I just want it should reach to more users worldwide!
So our test pilots have been up and running for quite a while now and we have all got to see their pics and videos shot with Satio and read about their experiences on their blogs and in their comments here. They have experienced some issues with their phones, as expected from pre-release SW of course but seems to have coped with it in general and liked their experience. A while ago I sent them some questions to sum up their experience, here’s what they answered:
Caroline:
What are your thoughts on the social media features and possibilities in the Satio?
The Satio is a great piece of kit to get involved in social media. Of course there is the internet browser which can be used for all the standard sites (and with full page versions as well) this is great to use …
I have been looking for a decent twitter app for the phone (as I find the web one a little lacking) and have been recommended one (Gravity) which I will try and report back)
The phone also comes with some great little direct update apps – to Flickr and Youtube included which makes it easy to do those spontaneous updates if you are out and about. This phone will be invaluable for on-the-spot reporting and tweeting from events … especially as the keyboard is so intuitive and the video and camera so good.
What 3rd party software have you installed?
I have not explored 3rd party apps much as (to be honest) I wasn’t sure which ones to install (in terms of phone type – the downside of test piloting a new phone I guess .. none of the sites are geared up for it yet )
I will be looking out for a Twitter app tho … and other apps to help me interact with various social media websites … It already has Google Maps (an app I added on my last phone) so no need to do that … and with the built in uploading to FLickr and Youtube that is sorted too …
How do you use the five start panels?
I must confess I have only just stated using the Favourites panels …so now I have a few names in there of the people I call the most (although could there be a way to search for people to add to favourites instead of having to scroll down to find them?) .. whilst in the Link favouites I have twitter, facebook, my wordpress account and myspace (although I don’t use this screen very often as I browse from one to another once I am inside the browser itself). My phone is on the middle option (the desktop image) the most.
The other tab I use the most is the media one – it is a great way to quickly get to the images quickly … great for showing people that hilarious image etc
I don’t really use the fifth button (recently used I’m guessing?) …. but Ill start remembering its there now
What surprised you the most with the Satio?
I was pleasantly surprised at how easy to use the full screen qwerty keyboard was (this was the one thing that almost put me off the Satio when I saw it online). It is much more reactive than I imagined and is very forgiving of misplaced fingers.
I was also pleased with the colours of the screen – yes it looked impressive on the adverts and photos, but it really is a stunning OS
The camera is phenomenal – better than I could have imagined – the colours are vivid and the image is bright … excellent
I was also surprised with the weight of the phone -I expected it to be a lot heavier that it was .. I knew it was a fairly sized handset but it is surrisingly light (which is good :-0)
Making calls on the it is great too – and I was pleased with the sound quality (living in a noisy city you can’t often hear the person you are talking too if outside) but this is crystal clear.
All in all = lots of pleasant surprises – generally at how the phone has exceeded expectations in terms of quality
Sandeep:
What are your thoughts on the social media features and possibilities in the Satio?
I’m quite happy with roadsync and the way it pushes my office mail. I do wish that it supported multiple email accounts though as I wanted to sync my Gmail account through it too.
The Facebook link is quite optimized for touch use and has nice transitions when you move from section to section, but I do miss a push-oriented desktop widget like on the A200 phones or the Facebook panel on the X1. Hopefully, something on these lines would be up on PlayNow Arena when the Satio is out on retail channels. Speaking of PlayNow, I hope to see tonnes of apps, media etc. available for the Satio on the portal so that future customers can expand the functionality of their phone without going through a dozen forums.
The facility to upload pictures directly to an image hosting service is quite nice too and I can see a lot of people using it. Now if only Picasa would improve their JPEG compression algorithm!
What 3rd party software have you installed?
As of now, I have the following:
Opera mini – Nice interface and fast, but makes too many javascript errors.
Gmail app – useless on touchscreen phones. looks like it was designed for normal phones
Fring – Tremendously useful, can connect to multiple IM accounts, Facebook etc. simultaniously. Yet to test out its VOIP functionality though.
Symabook – A free Facebook client that I installed to test it out. The interface looks neat, but it’s still in development, so lacks a lot of functionality.
I tried to look for an Antivirus for the Satio, but no one has a version ready for it yet.
How do you use the five start panels?
The favorite contacts panel is very useful for me as I call/text or mail pretty much the same set of people all the time. I have a Wikipedia link on the bookmarks panel which i use a lot for finding useless info on random stuff, haha. The facebook link gets used a lot too. The main panel of course, is the most important one. The music widget is extremely useful and I use my own wallpapers here all the time. The photo panel is used a lot as I constantly review the pictures I took and decide which ones to post/ process. The flick scrolling action here is extremely smooth, even though i have a few hundred pictures in the phone by now. The apps panel gets used whenever I need to switch on Bluetooth and use the WiFi wizard, calendar or calculator (several times a day).
What surprised you the most with the Satio?
That the red (Bordeaux) looks a lot nicer in the newer videos than I expected it to be, haha. With my Satio though, the thing that surprised me the most was the solid feel that the handset posessed. It’s not as heavy as an X1, but it’s very sturdy and the panel gaps are millimeter perfect. Certainly a well built handset and Kudos to SE for that.
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