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Upgrading to a new technology platform should be one of the rewarding moments in one's professional life. The expectation of faster and slicker services and new useful features is exciting. But don't you just hate it when it feels like pushing water uphill? That's what it felt like when I upgraded my mobile phone to the latest Sony Ericsson Xperia X10.

I fell for its ergonomic charms, its 4 inch screen and the prospect of having an 'always on' device that would act as phone, email service and have some useful toys such as GPS. Well I should have set my expectations much lower.

Running an Internet technology company has its advantages so I passed the phone to Kevin, Amatica's technical manager, to set up the email service etc. It had the added advantage of addressing the luddite in me by giving me access to on-site training and support for the phone.

I was ready to let go of the trusted keypad on my old phone but certainly not for the battery life of circa 4 hours! Utterly useless if you're away from the office all day. In addition, the touchscreen performs with the accuracy and consistency of junior ministers flipping their residences.

So when O2 customer support tell me I have to completely discharge and fully recharge the battery at least 3 times I lose the plot completely. "But if I buy a new car" I rant, "I expect it to perform and produce similar performance figures to that advertised. I don't expect to be told to run the fuel tank completely dry and fill it up at least three times before it performs as it should." They understand my point but do little that's of any practical use.

What is it with technology that means that we have to accept second best and be expected to be grateful with the unhelpful support provided? There's no way that someone like Sony Ericcson should launch such a poorly designed and tested product onto the market.

So now I'm armed with two phones; I've my trusty phone with a keypad, no fancy screen or email but does has a battery life that will last days on end, the other a fancy smartphone that has a battery life of around four hours before it expires completely. It makes me feel like a cop out of a Hollywood movie. I know what you're thinking. Why does he need two phones? To tell you the truth I forgot with all the excitement of having the latest smartphone gizmo so I should ask myself a question. "Do I feel lucky?" "Well do I?"

Smartphone from Sony Ericsson? I don't think so!

Footnote - 10/5/2010:

The fancy X10 has been returned and I’ve reverted to my trusty keypad phone; fewer features but its reliable and my stress levels are dramatically reduced!
 

© Amatica 29/04/2010