Sony Ericsson Equinox Phone, Black (T-Mobile)

 

 

Create your own review

As T-Mobile's new only-SonyEricsson-model, the T717 ("Equinox") has some, but not all, very nice features which are common to most SonyEricsson phones.

"Push" email! There isn't any reason why all phones shouldn't be able to do this, but only SonyEricsson bothers to. Push email means instant email delivery to your phone, no "dial out" interval needed because it is always connected.

Runs Java applications (games, Opera Mini, etc) very well. Games run smoothly, unlike Nokia's or Motorola's mid-price offerings.

Runs multiple games/apps at once. I can simultaneously run 2 games, 2 different web browsers, and Google Maps. That's pretty impressive for a phone this price. I don't yet know what its limit is. Obviously you don't "need" to do this, but it means you can do things like check a website without closing the game you are in the middle of. Note that your experience may vary, as apps take more memory when they have been running for some time, vs. just being opened.

SonyEricsson's handy popup menu is included (the little 2-box/camera button on the keypad). This is a little popup window which has tabs for currently-running applications, a list of custom shortcuts, and some other stuff. Remember all of those applications I was running? I can push this button and see everything the phone is doing.

Reception is improved over older models, which weren't too bad either. I can use this phone in a few corners where others don't work.

As always, sound quality is just fine, and the ringer is also loud and clear.

The display is a fine resolution of 240x320 with high visibility and well-saturated color.

Any sound file can be set for any sound function. Alarms, SMS, email, and ring tones can be customized with any MP3 or MIDI you load to the phone (with simple drag-and-drop mass storage mode). The phone does not throw a fit if the MP3 is too high quality, or if the file is not in a special folder.


Now here's the lame stuff about the T717, all due to T-Mobile's meddling with what otherwise would have been the perfect model T707:

1. 2 of the 4 D-pad shortcuts are permanently set to recent calls and the phonebook. This is completely stupid, because the Send key is already a shortcut for recent calls (like every other phone in the world), and one of the softkeys below the screen is already set to the phone book! Those fascist punks at T-Mobile hijacked 2 of your shortcut keys for functions which already have dedicated buttons!

2. T-Mobile has removed Sony's awesome TrackID feature, present on most of their phones including the T707, but not the T717. TrackID records music via the microphone (e.g., playing in a restaurant or in a TV show), then connects to a server to identify the song. What is that song playing in the background of that video? Sony would tell you, but T-Mobile doesn't want you to know.

3. T-Mobile has insisted on some goofy rotating animated main menu, instead of the standard 4x3 icon grid like other Sony models (and like most other brands). Instead of 12 icons, you get 6. Everything is buried deeper than it normally would be with a normal menu, and unlike non-T-Mobile SonyEricsson models which allow different menu styles, T-Mobile will not let you change it.

4. Though T-Mobile is "nice" enough to not block Opera Mini from accessing the Internet (as they do on other phones), the phone is still hacked by T-Mobile to block unsigned games/apps. Ad-supported free games, unsigned messaging apps, and other such things won't work, even though you paid for the phone and the Internet service to use it.

5. The web softkey on the home screen is permanently set to the T-Mobile home page. You can change the web browser's homepage setting, but the web shortcut still goes to the page T-Mobile wants you to see.


Although this phone is actually less-restricted than other T-Mobile options, and has a few powerful features, it is still not a substitute for buying an unlocked, un-hacked phone outside of a carrier's offerings.


However, despite T-Mobile's evil input, this phone is actually better than their others. If you want to access your GMail account on your phone, but don't want a Blackberry or Windows phone, this is the only T-Mobile phone with instant email delivery. The large screen and strong processor (compared to other brands in the same price range) are good for running games (so long as they don't need Internet connection). For a lot of people, this is a 4-star phone. But I have to give it 3, knowing how much crippling has been done to it.



Tips:
1. If you are annoyed by the unnecessary complexity of the media menu, there is a simple file manager under the organizer menu. I have a shortcut directly to the file manager.

2. This is a great phone for Opera Mini 5 (much better than the built-in browser on any phone--go to [...] on the phone and download it), but thanks to T-Mobile it is unable to install the unsigned beta version. Either use the signed version of 4.2, or poke around on the download page for 5.0 until you get to the signed option.

3. Google maps runs just fine on this phone, but for some reason Google's download page has trouble identifying the phone and serving a working version. If this is still screwed up when you try it, go to [...] instead, and download it from them.

4. Of course T-Mobile removed SonyEricsson's links to [mostly] free games, ringers, and apps. However, you can still point the phone's browser to [...] to download a bunch of free stuff.

Just bought it and have not used all the features yet. So far: sound/reception is very clear (which is what I wanted and what a phone should do). Battery life probably about 4 hours talk time, but too soon for me to be sure. Menu easy to use and can download manual from manufacturer's site. Transfer of media to PC and download very user friendly. Lots of features, though T-Mobile does not support some of them (make sure you check with your provider). The bad so far: not much memory, so you will need a memory card if planning to use the media features, whether video, music, or other. I haven't tested the quality of video and camera. Music speaker is great, considering it is only a phone. Summary: if you are looking for data/office/messaging primarily and the phone is your primary access to the web/e-mail, then this is not the best choice. This phone is a great option for those like me who are wanting an actual real phone with media (i.e. songs, radio, camera, video),internet and e-mail access, don't do tremendous amount of messaging, and everything else is a bonus. It also has a great task/organizer that is very easy to use. By the way, T-mobile has a very nice feature (web2go), which is a limited internet access, also for those who do not use the phone as a primary internet venue but want some internet capability. It is not available with most phones, where you have to buy the whole package (internet and messaging), but it is available with this phone, which makes it very affordable as you do not have to purchase the whole data package in addition to the phone. Also, the phone is just cool. Love when it lits up and the flip design is so much more convenient to hold than the sliders or data phones. Haven't used the radio yet. Hope this helps.

Pros -
- Attractive design
- Call quality is clear
- Antenna is strong, but not as strong as my Samsung T439 which got terrible reviews (just like this phone) but did not deserve it. My Samsung would give me reception in places where this Sony would not, but that's not to take anything away because my Samsung had an exceptionally strong antenna, probably tops in it's class.
- Speakerphone is pretty strong and I can carry on a conversation with it on, unlike my Samsung T439 which had a horrible speakerphone.
- Light will come on and stay on if someone leaves a voice message (this is a Pro and a Con).
- The lcd screen is bright, clear and easy to read.
- The camera takes decent pictures in a pinch.
- The lights look cool when someone calls. They don't blink or anything like that, just turn on.
- I can get internet for relatively cheap with T-Mobile. I am currently on their $1.99 per megabyte download plan which works really well for me. This costs almost the same as calling 4-1-1 which costs like $1.60 or something like that per call. I can access Google from the Opera browser in the phone which works really well. Then I can use Google to look up phone numbers quickly and easily. I can also access Google maps in case I need directions.
You do have the option of going with Telenav which gives you turn by turn voice directions using the built in GPS, but this service charges like $15 monthly or somewhere in that price range (not worth it IMO).
I only use the internet sparingly so I rarely ever go past 1 megabyte, hence I don't have to spend more than $1.99/month for the internet access.
- I LOVE the alarm clock on this phone!!! I currently have the left direction button hotkeyed to my alarm. You have the option of 5 different alarm times. You can set which days each alarm will go off, hence you can set Alarm #1 for Mon to go off at 7am (or simply Monday through Friday), and Alarm #2 to go off for Mon at 5pm, etc. You can choose the snooze duration for 3,5,7,10,15,and 30 mins. You can choose the sound of your alarm which can be your own music, you can also choose the volume of the alarm, you can also choose to display text and picture with your alarm. I like the way the alarm starts out quiet and gets louder. When the alarm is turned on, there's an indicator at the bottom left of the screen that displays the time of the alarm. This is the first phone I've owned that displayed the alarm time as confirmation that it is indeed turned on. Once it goes off, you flip the phone, click ok, and then click to turn it off. The default setting had the vibrate function going off at the same time as the alarm so there was a double effect. Also, if you turn the phone off, the alarm will still function! This is kind of spooky and freaked me out the first time it happened, but it's cool because it means if you are running out of batteries you can turn the phone off, but still have the alarm function! There's obviously a ton of attention devoted to the alarm feature and I'm so grateful because I rely on both my alarm clock and my phone (as backup) to wake me up.
- You can customize the wallpaper and screen saver as well as opening screen.
- The internal memory has been sufficient to put some picture and mp3's on the phone without having to spend extra money on the card.
- I have the other hotkey (right directional button) set to Opera Mini (web browser).
- If you use Google Maps to find directions, the built in GPS unit inside the phone will automatically set your current position as the default if you want driving directions, hence you do not need to spend additional money for the GPS function.
- The GPS finds your location fast, much faster than my portable Magellan Roadmate.
- You can quickly and easily make calls from within your web browser. Simply scroll over the phone number using the directional pad, and press the green "call" button. You will see several options pop up. One of those options is to call the number.
- Video playback looks decent, although it's a big choppy.

Cons -
- Removing the SIM card is a pain in the rear because it goes down inside a sleeve and is only partially exposed. You will see what I'm talking about when you take the cover off. It is impossible to remove with your bare hands, you must use a tool to pry or pull it out.
- Removing the rear cover can be tricky at first because it's quite fragile and you don't want to scratch or break it. I think I have it down now though.
- When you receive a message, like a voicemail, the light comes on in the front (not the circular light, but the smaller one) and the phone vibrates. I found out the hard way that this can drain the battery if you don't turn it off. Someone had left a voice message around noon and I didn't find out until 4:30pm. All the while, my phone had been sitting in my car vibrating with the light on. I guess I could simply turn my phone off when it's not with me to prevent this from happening in the future, but, assuming this cannot be addressed within the phone's settings, this is a potentially big con.
- One of the things I was looking for was slow down by the processor as I read other accounts of people saying the phone was sluggish at times (not on this website). I've only noticed this on a couple of occasions so I was not surprised when it happened. It usually happened when the phone was first turned on. It has also happened while browsing through the menus and playing with the music and other functions. It is not a big deal and I don't expect my phone to exhibit sluggishness when I use it.
- This phone takes a really long time to turn on, much longer than my Samsung T439. Sometimes I wonder if I even pressed the button because I have to wait so long. This is not a deal breaker, but it is annoying.
- When I unplug the phone from the charger, it's necessary for me to unplug the charger from the wall first. On a couple occasions, when I unplugged the phone from the cable (before unplugging it from the wall), I got a message saying "Error: Insert SIM card" or something like that. With my Samsung T439, I would always leave the charger plugged into the wall. When I needed to charge the phone I would just attach the plug to the phone, can't do that with this Sony.

Other thoughts -
I've been watching for the paint to come off as the other two reviewers complained but so far the paint looks fine, nothing has chipped or flaked off. I purchased the black rubberized cover to go on top and it looks attractive while still protecting the phone. It only adds maybe 2mm to the total width. Because it's a matte finish it doesn't pick up fingerprints.

All these negative reviews look irresponsible. One person gave 1 star because it uses proprietary hardware (something you could have looked up beforehand if it was that big a deal). Another gave 1 star because the paint started to come off, but all he had to do was buy a cover for it, which you should do anyway for any cell phone (if you don't want a plastic cover, you could invest in a clear screen protector which doesn't add any width at all). Another person gave 1 star because it just fell apart, saying the screen "broke from the keybored". A suspicious review since this phone does not come with a keyboard and the screen is attached very securely with a large and solid hinge (you would have to put the phone through hell to break the hinge).

I feel as if I'm the only reviewer here half way responsible here for buying this phone. I did my homework and I knew what I was buying before making the decision to purchase. I knew the memory card was proprietary, it is not a smart phone, it is made by a solid company in Sony Ericsson, and it had the basic functions that I needed. This phone has turned out to be a great purchase for me because it has functions that I need like the alarm, good strong antenna, good call quality, good speakerphone, and it looks cool and stylish with the lights on the cover. It also has ability to customize more than my previous Samsung. This phone has definitely been an upgrade from my previous. Bluetooth connection with my Plantronics headset has worked well and wasn't too difficult to setup.

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 10 customer reviews...

 

 

1.0 out of 5 stars Avoid this phone.
The peeling paint is definitely a manufacturing defect. I have dealt with 4 of these phones, 2 for me and 2 for my wife. Read more

Published 7 months ago by RFMagon

4.0 out of 5 stars A great phone ,one of the best I've owned
I recently bought this phone after reading tons of reviews .First let me say what I want from a phone is that it's simple to operate ,good sound ,good battery life and nice... Read more

Published 11 months ago by hp1480

4.0 out of 5 stars No Timed Profile
While I like the phone for the most part, one feature is lacking. When I go into a meeting, I want to be able to put it on Silent, but for a specific amount of time - say two... Read more

Published 11 months ago by T. Krauska

1.0 out of 5 stars Cheap :/
Very very cheap phone, i owned it myself and only had for 6 months an it broke!!
The paint on it chipped away, would take forever to start up and to open certain... Read more

Published 14 months ago by Edward

1.0 out of 5 stars Complete failure of manufacturing process and quality control
I believe most of what can be said about the phone in its out of the box state is covered in the other reviews here. Read more

Published 17 months ago by Solomon Gold

1.0 out of 5 stars It's good, but with some issues.
I just got this phone recently after saying goodbye to AT&T. The issues I have with the phone is Sony's dumb insistence on using proprietary hardware on their phones( Memory Card... Read more

Published 20 months ago by Skogkatt

4.0 out of 5 stars pretty good phone, not a PDA, but phone
It's a good phone. It's email capable and it's browsing isn't terrible. The only real drawback is that it uses M2 cards for extra memory. Read more

Published 22 months ago by This Guy

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 10 customer reviews...