EDDIEWONG

… which happens to be this coming Friday. As much as I love the design of the Media Skin, I’ve actually let the chance of owning it slip by recently getting the Sony Ericsson W44S.

No doubt, the Media Skin is probably one of the coolest phones around but just like all designer phones that have come before it, the specs for some components seem out-of-date. I understand that a phone like this is more about the ‘looks’ than the ‘spec’ but sometimes I really wonder, why the sacrifices?

Here are the main reasons why I decided not to get this phone:

Reason 1: 2.4-inch QVGA screen (240px X 320px)

I had this screen in my Sharp cellphone back in May 2003. Most of today’s multi-media capable cellphones utilizes wide-screen LCDs at approx. 2.7-inches wide with a resolution of approx. 240px X 400px. The biggest screen today is on the Toshiba AU W52T at 3-inches wide with a resolution of 480px X 800px.

This is not so much of a major turn off because the design proportions obviously cannot accommodate a larger screen.

Reason 2: 1.3 mega pixel camera with no auto-focus

In the same Sharp cellphone I mentioned above, it had 1mp CCD therefore 1.3mp for today, 4 years later, is unacceptable. I understand that some of the 3.2mp and 5mp CCDs today are crap, but come on… 1.3mp? For me personally, I think 2mp is the lowest it should be. And no auto-focus? Instead we have to resort to a switch on the body to switch between normal and macro-shots?

This is pretty big of a turn off for me because I shoot pretty often with a cellphone. Carrying a compact camera everyday and using it to shoot quick photos is just not as convenient as using a cellphone.

Now, why this sacrifice? Are the larger megapix and auto-focus CCDs that much more bigger and hard to install? Or is the industrial design (and paying royalties to the designer) costing too much therefore they have no more budget to install a better CCD? Personally, I wouldn’t mind paying a little more…

Reason 3: MEDIA SKIN’s model series number is W52K

The ‘K’ at the end stands for Kyocera meaning this phone is made by Kycera. I admit, I’ve never owned any Kyocera electronics before but that brand just doesn’t tickle my fancies.

Sanyo, at most times, usually deal with the designer cellphones for AU. They also make most of the electric equipments for Franc Franc designs like rice cookers, microwave ovens, etc. I actually have a Franc Franc Sanyo rice cooker which I bought over 4 years ago purely because I liked the design. Back then, I wasn’t even cooking and the rice cooker was boxed up and left in my closet for like over 2 years! But anway… I’d just like to say, I prefer Sanyo over Kyocera.

So there you have it. It is probably just me, but that is me. But that said, I really do dig the design therefore I have ordered brand new mock-ups. Yep, thats right. Mock-ups as in dummies – the non-working ones which you find on demo in shops. And all 3 colours too so I can display them one next to the other! And besides, I’m rather anal about my things looking immaculate. With a cool cellphone like this, I’d be too paranoid to use it for fear of getting any marks on it! And thats no exaggeration. My ex-colleagues used to joke amongst themselves by imitating me when I’m not around for lunch by saying things like “Oh no! Theres a finger print on the box of my PowerBook”, etc., etc. B*stards!

Btw, between March 23 – April 19, you can cast your vote on one of the ‘New Colour Variation’ Media Skin cellphones and the one colour with the most votes will go into production! The 5 colours are: Pink, Brown, Pastel Pink, Pastel Blue and Red. Hmmmmmm… seems like most of them are for the ladies. I prefer the originals: Orange, Black and White. But I’m pretty sure I will also get the mock-up of the new colour – just so I can have the complete set