Editor-in-Chief Jørgen Sundgot gets in touch with his feminine side to review the girly Siemens Xelibri X6, which boasts dual mirrors and a powder box-mimicking design.
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With its first collection of Xelibri handsets, one cannot go quite as far as saying Siemens introduced a novel concept to the world of mobile phones. However, the manufacturer did go further than all of its competitors in its experiment to bring forward models where style mattered almost as much as functionality - and still does more than most handset makers. This review takes a look at one of the girly members of Siemens' autumn/winter 2003 collection: the Xelibri X6.
 | As with other Xelibri phones, the X6 is all about appearances and less about the features
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Exterior
With its circular clamshell design and rounded contours, it is more or less immediately clear that the 8.4 x 7.5 x 2.6 cm and 74 g X6 has been created with the fairer sex in mind. The handset opens to reveal not one, but two mirrors: one smaller and magnifying, centered on the lower half and surrounded by a circular keypad and a five-way navigational pad at the bottom; the second flat and magnifying, encircling a suitably bright and crisp - albeit small - 12-bit colour screen on the upper half.
As befits a style-conscious handset that might very well be someone's 'second phone', the X6 offers quick and convenient access to the SIM card slot through a slide hatch on the bottom of the handset.
Naturally, the help of female acquaintances had to be enlisted to enable a proper determination of the X6' girl appeal - which turned out to be quite high. Overall responses could easily be summarized as 'wow', most of which were due to the unique appearance of the design - and of course, the ability to talk in the phone and apply make-up at the same time. What more could a girl want?
Ergonomics
Despite being somewhat unwieldy when opened, the X6 is comfortable to hold and use - however it does require users to apply both hands regardless of what action is to be taken, even if it is only to answer a phone call. This usability snag aside, keys are well sized and also domed, offering good tactile feedback while at the same time keeping noise levels down.
Features
As with all Xelibri handsets, the dual-band GSM 900/1800 MHz X6 is high on style, yet short on features. Although basic functionality is fully adequate both with regard to voice connectivity and SMS compatibility, the most advanced functionality offered by the X6 is voice dialing - somewhat odd considering its high price. As befits a style-conscious handset, however, the X6 offers four system-wide themes and a slew of polyphonic ringtones for personalization purposes.
Performance
Offering a well-designed, icon-driven menu system laid out in carousel fashion, the Xelibri X6 requires little if any time to get accustomed to. User friendliness is excellent, however the handset is plagued by annoyingly sluggish interaction and is unable to keep up with rapid text input. Voice dialing works well although is far from fast - but on the bright side, SIM card exchange is speedy for those wishing to keep the X6 as a second phone.
Voice quality is good, however despite good overall signal reception the handset has a tendency to produce intermittent static in conversations conducted under favourable conditions for no apparent reason. Battery life proved quite good, although claims were - as usual - somewhat over the top with up to 290 hours of standby time and 240 minutes of talk time: we achieved approximately 270 hours and 200 minutes.
Availability
The Xelibri X5 is now available in several larger European markets and the Asia Pacific, as well as from the dedicated Xelibri online store. It sells in the 325 USD range without subscription.
Conclusion
Unlike its younger sibling, the Xelibri X5, the Xelibri X6 manages to stand out in a crowd due to its consistently stylish design. Still, it is mostly a phone for talking and little else as it lacks any advanced features and also performs sluggishly when it comes to text input. The handset gets major credit for its narrowly focused design concept, however, and girls looking for that special 'wow' factor would do well to consider the Xelibri X6.
What's positive: Stylish design; easy SIM card access
What's negative: Short on features; you pay for what you see
| Features: | 5/10 |
| Exterior: | 8/10 |
| Ergonomics: | 5/10 |
| Performance: | 4/10 |
| Value: | 3/10 |
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iSW Score:
5.0/10
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Price and availability
The will start selling for TBA () in November 1999.
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