MyPhoneExplorer – A blessing for Sony Ericsson users

I recently exchanged my Nokia 5300 for a Sony Ericsson k750i with a friend of mine. We both decided to try out each other’s phone for sometime. When I got my k750i, the first thing I did was to install the PC suite to see what all is supported in the software and I was really really disappointed. the SE PC suite turned out to be as crappy as the Nokia PC Suite or the Motorola Phone Toolkit. All these software available from the original vendors seem to be substandard and compete with each other for lower efficiency levels.

As is my habit, I started googling around for something better and I stumbled upon MyPhoneExplore. This I believe is the best thing that has happened to the mobile industry. And here’s some of the best features of MyPhoneExplorer.

• The installation and phone detection is simpler and more effective than all the original software available.
• It connects to my phone whenever I pug it into the USB drive. And even if I disconnect the phone from the PC when the software is running and then connect it again. It gracefully connects without asking me to detect the phone again!
• It runs as utility on my System Tray. I can use hotkeys like ctrl+F5 to launch the “new message” window etc..
• Messaging
  • I can type messages and click send to broadcast the message through my phone. It allows me to pick contacts from my address book and also create a favorites list of contacts.
  • Messages I send from the software are saved in the SENT messages folder and later synced on to the phone. This is something very simple but it doesn’t happen in Nokia and Motorola pc suites.
  • I can archive the messages into my local machine AND group them under different custom categories of my choice.
  • I can export the messages to multiple formats – sms, csv, xml, html etc. This doesn’t happen in Nokia pc suite.
• Call Registry
  • I can group the calls on month
  • I can view all calls – dialled, missed, answered
• Contacts
  • All contacts – both on SIM card and the phone memory
  • Syncs seamlessly with Outlook
• File Manager
  • Allows me to browse the files and folders in the phone and the memory
  • I can install Java apps from this manager on to the phone (Though, I have seen that this feature is a bit buggy)
• Others
  • Shows me pie charts of various usage attributes of the phone like memory etc.
• Organizer
  • Now, I saved this for the last. This is probably the best feature in the application! The MyPhoneExplorer allows me to directly bi-directional sync my phone calendar with GOOGLE calendars. It allows me to sync with other mail applications like outlook also. But, Syncing with google is not even possible with outlook. So, I would say this is the best feature!
  • It allows me to sync my notes, to-do lists etc

Another very important feature is that when the phone rings or I make an outgoing call while it is connected to the PC. A dialog pops up with the incoming/outgoing call details and a textfield. And when I start conversing, I can actually jot down information in this textfield in the popup and then choose to save this as a note or task in my phone itself. I can also, dial a number directly from the PC. Isn’t that all cool?

Now, Hows that for a comprehensive feature list? And the best part of it all? MyPhoneExplorer is FREE!!!!! Go Ahead! And download it! Let me tell you something. If you have a Sony Ericsson phone and don’t use MyPhoneExplorer, then you are not using your phone to the maximum. MyPhoneExplorer works only with models of Sony Ericsson. In fact, my next phone might also be a Sony Ericsson, just because MyPhoneExplorer works only with it. I wish other original PC Suite developers understand how the quality of their software influences a customer’s purchase.

Some screenshots from the application -

 

Note: This post is not to advertise MyPhoneExplorer in any manner. I am not linked with them in any way. I wish this would serve as a checklist for Nokia and Motorola software team to get an idea of what users REALLY WANT in the software!

Note to guys from NOKIA or MOTOROLA: You folks seriously need a good User Experience person. Not just in the PC software team; Even the embedded team could do with an expert focusing on usability issues and user requirements. If any of you from Nokia or Motorola read this and are looking for such a person, you know where to leave the comment …