Design, Dimensions

The Sony Ericsson Vivaz is an elegantly styled sleek phone with a smooth and rounded finish. This makes the model good to look at. The size of the device is significantly small which makes it pocket friendly.

Its dimensions are 107x51.7x12.5mm and it weighs about 97g. It has a 4.2 inches resistive touchscreen. The phone is available in attractive colors- Silver Moon, Cosmic Black, Galaxy Blue, Ruby and Venus.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz Camera

The camera is one of the best features of this phone. The 8.1MP camera sets the standard real high. It takes snaps in 6 resolutions which includes two wide resolutions and two quality settings. It also comes with 4 color effects, a self timer, 4 white balance options, a digital zoom, image stabilizer, multishot and night mode amongst other features. Geotagging is also available.

Basic Features

The Vivaz is a great phone that has a host of useful features including a 3.2inches TFT screen, 8.1MP camera, great media elements, decent connectivity options, decent call quality and not to forget great looks.

Interface: The Sony Ericsson Vivaz runs on the Symbian operating system. The menu is easily laid out and navigation is easy. There is only one menu screen but thre are several sub-menu options. If the home screen is customised then one can avoid venturing into the menu each time.

Phone Book: The phone book capacity of Vivaz is limited by the size of the internal memory, which should give users a lot of space. Every contact can hold multiple fields which include phone numbers, email address, street address, job description etc. Photos and ringtones can be associated with each contact.

Screen

The front portion of Vivaz is dominated by the 3.2 inches display. The touchscreen though not very large is decent enough. It supports up to 16.7 millon colors and has a pixel resolution of 640x320pixels. The TFT screen is a resistive screen which means one needs to apply pressure in order to get the commands executed. The stylus offers a one of a kind experience.

Keypad and Controls

The Vivaz offers a virtual keypad to facilitate texting and emails. It also comes with a handwriting recognotion mechanism - pretty accurate. The onscreen keypad is fast and also relatively easy to use. The individual buttons are large and to insert numbers or symbols one needs to move to other pages.

Audio

The Sony Ericsson Vivaz comes with a music player that is much better than those present in its predeccesor. All the traditional options like artists, albums, playlists, etc are available on the player. The music quality is reasonably good, however use of the headset offers a better experience. The standard FM is also available on the phone. A wired antenna is required though.

Messaging

The phone comes with numerous messaging menu from the regular SMS to email inbox to a threaded message. Setting up email on the Vivaz is pretty easy.Also, setting up Exchange Mail was simple and doesn’t take very long to synchronize with the server. Push mail however is not configured by default and the inbox needs to be refreshed every time you open your inbox. Also, the onscreen QWERTY keypad is easier to use on the landscaped mode.

Media

Sony Ericsson has had a good track record of great music phones and Vivaz is no exception. The Vivaz has a walkman music player. It offers a slick interface with animated background. The monochrome player also hosts a number of options which include artists, albums, playlists, audiobooks and podcasts.

It is also simple to create playlists on the fly. There is a widget on the home screen that lets you remain updated with the track names and also offers quick access. The media player offers an easy switch over facility to video playback or the photo gallery as it is all part of the same application.

Internet

The Vivaz offers a good Browsing experience. It is easy to switch between the 3G network connectivity and the WiFi. Browsing the web over the SIM card data connection offeres a mixed experience-sometimes the web pages loads fast but other times they may even take up a minute to load. WiFi although a tad slower is consistent. Zoom-in option allows users to zoom into the page. Another useful function is the ‘find’ function that lets people find the relevant content on the web page. However vivaz is not flash compatible.

Storage

The onboard memory of the phone is around 75MB. However, it possesses a microSD card slot that can support up to 32 GB expansion.

Connectivity and Data

The Sony Ericsson Vivaz is a quad band GSM (850/900/1800/1900) phone. It features the stereo Bluetooth, A2DP support and a microUSB connectivity. Support for WiFi and EDGE technologies is also provided.

Usability & Performance

The Vivaz performs well enough in all aspects. It has a decent call quality. The signal remains stedy and strong and the audio is clear on both ends. No counter interference is experienced from other devices. However, speaker phone calls are not as clear as voice gets distorted at higher volumes. The same goes for automated calling systems. The Vivaz comes with a 720MHz processor. Although this isn’t too bad but according to observations the phone’s performance is a little sluggish that is, it takes some time to execute certain commands. It offers a battery life of 5 hours which includes 20 minutes 3G talktime and 13 hours EDGE talktime.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz Phone Specifications

• Weight: 97 g
• Width: 107 mm
• Height: 51.7 mm
• Thickness: 12.5 mm
• Display size: 3.2"
• Announced: 2010, January
• Colors: Pink, Silver Moon, Cosmic Black, Galaxy Blue, Venus Ruby
• Network: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - HSDPA 900 / 2100 - HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
• Screen Resolution: 360 x 640 pixels, 3.2 inches - TFT resistive touchscreen, 16M colors - Scratch-resistant surface
• Data: GPRS Class 10, EDGE Class 10, 3G HSDPA, 10.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, DLNA, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB v2.0 microUSB
• Memory: Internal phone storage 75 MB storage, microSD, up to 32 GB, 8GB included
• Connectivity: USB v2.0 microUSB, Bluetooth 2.1
• Web Browser: WAP 2.0 / xHTML (NetFront)
• Media and Music: MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player, MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player, Suppoerted (AAC, H.263, H.264, MP3, MPEG-4, WAV, eAAC+, WMA v10, MIDI, AAC+)
• Camera: 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash Digital Camera
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
• Expansion Slot: microSD supports up to 32 GB microSD
• Tones: Vibration, MP3, WAV ringtones
• Software Features: Symbian Series 60, 5th edition
• CPU: 720 MHz, PowerVR SGX graphics
• Other Features: Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Facebook and Twitter apps, Voice Recognition, Embedded JAVA™ Games, Scheduler, Stop watch
• US Sar Values: Head: 1.04, Body: ---
• Battery: Li-Po 1200 mAh
• Talk Time: up to 780 mins
• Standby: up to 430 hours

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Sleek and slim design
• Great features
• Good call quality

Cons:

• Touchscreen is not easy to use
• Data service is not reliable

Related Cell Phones: Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 - HTC Evo 4G - Motorola Droid X - HTC Desire Z

Conclusion

The Sony Ericssson Vivaz is a great phone with amazing features. The handset excels aesthetically and it also performs quite well. The media elements are the best features of the phone whether it is the camcorder or the music player.Getting used to the Symbian interface is also easy and it is a pleasure to use. Invest in the Vivaz if you wish to have a good looking phone with interesting features.

Design, Dimensions

The Sony Ericsson X10 is on the bulkier side. This is quite obvious given the huge 4.1 inches display. This phone cannot really be used with a single hand. Its dimensions are 119 x 63 x 13 mm and weighs about 135grams.

The display dominates the front part of the phone and there are three buttons namely menu, home and back beneath the screen. A little LED glows in between the front buttons whenever the phone is in use.

Camera

The X10 features an 8.1MP camera that comes with a LED flash - must be activated manually. The camera software has a great feature set. It offes excellent face detection functionality besides tagging people in photos. The daylight photo quality is decent. It is bright, sharp and has vivid colors.It also offers 4 white balance settings, an mage stabilizer and geotagging features plus a digital zoom.

Basic Features

The Sony Ericsson Xperia is a feature rich device that comes with great media elements. This phone is sure to satisfy media lovers. It also offers excellent Internet communication. It also has an interesting interface in the Timescape and Mediascape. Its great design and amazing screen looks great.

Interface: The Xperia runs on the Android OS 1.6. Another unique feature is the Timescape onerlay. The home screen can be customized in two ways-either having the generic android screen or having the Timescape Spline as the display. Timescape is nothing but a stack of tiles with each tile representing an action. Text messages, Facebook, songs listened to get their own stack called Splines. In the display you can see all these tiles in a scrollable line. By swiping left and right one can get each activity on a separate Spline.

Phone Book: The phone book in the X10 has been personalized. The addition of the alphabet on the right side facilitates filtering of entries. A serch tab is also always accesible and it allows searches based on boh parts of the name. Users can also update their current status on to the social networking sites directly from the phone book. Various details can be stored too for fach phone contact.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Screen

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 comes with a 4.1 inches screen with a pixel resolution of 480x854 pixels. It can support up to 64K colors and has an amazing image quality. The contrast of the screen is great and it can be adjusted according to surrounding light. The screen remains legible even under direct sunlight. The screen is extremely sensitive, accurate and responsive which eases the use of the virtual keybord and also enhances the web browsing experience.

Keypad and Controls

There are three buttons under the screen that serve the standard functions. The three buttons are menu, home and back. The LED light that glows in between the buttons are purely for aesthetic reasons. The Multimedia buttons present on the sides of the phone are a little flat. The power button is present on the top of the phone.

The virtual keyboard offers some unique featues. In the landscape mode there is a lot of space for typing. The alphabetic/punctuation keys are spread across three rows. There is a separate keyboard for numbers, symbols and other punctuation marks. A special pop-up keyboard includes the smileys and some other symbols. Also, the space bar is located in the center of the bottom row making usage easier. The X10 also comes with an autocomplete function .

Audio

The phone has a great music player that offers an amazing sound quality. It offers filtering options and the ability to access information. However, it lacks the equalizer. The sound produced is loud and clear with apleasing bases.

Messaging

The messaging features of the phone are very impressive. Both Exchange email and POP are synchronized. Exchange is handled by Moxier Mail. YahooMail and other web based accounts can easily be connected to. Moreover the messages are shown in Timescape as one of the Splines. SMS is threaded in both the inbox and within the contact profile. Instant messaging options are also available.

Media

The music player in the device can be accesed via the Mediascape application which displays photos, tracks and videos in convenient locations. Users can also view the songs they have listened to the most, videos theyhave viewed the most etc. The music section is well-stocked and it offers an intuitive UI that makes moving through the tracks simple. The music player also displays album art and one can access shuffle and repeat modes, assign favourites, assign a track as a message or even mail a track.

Video is also excellent. The player can identify MPEG 4 videos that are coded in H.264. However it does not support DivX and Xvid. The WVGA resolution offers a great viewing experience. The video can be watched in either the landscape or the portarit mode.

Internet

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 comes with the standard Android OS 1.6 web browser capable of rendering even the most complicated of web pages. The 1Ghz processor of the phone facilitates smooth scrolling and zooming making the web browsing experience really enjoyable. Although Flash is not supported by the device the fast YouTubebrowser more than makes up for this deficiency. The device features an application suite for synchronization of the various segments of MS outlook. The Moxie Mail is the most interesting among them. The standard email applications can be used for POP3 and IMAP email accounts.

Storage

The device has a 348MB RAM and a 1GB storage.

Connectivity and Data

The XPERIA X10 needs to be well conected to the Internet most of the times as it uses timescape and Mediascape. The device supports HSDPA 10.2Mbit/s and Wi-Fi 802.11b/g. It features the Blueooth 2.1 withA2DP support. It is also compatible with GPRS, EDGE and WiFi technologies.

Usability & Performance

The fast processor of the X10 ensures the device performs as it is expected to. The OS and applications run really fast and offers a smooth zooming and scrolling experience. This quad band phone also offers great call quality. The signal is clear and strong, the voices can be herad loud enough at both ends too.

Related Phones: Motorola Droid X - HTC Desire Z - LG KM555 COOKIE

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Phone Specifications

• Weight: 135 g
• Width: 119 mm
• Height: 63 mm
• Thickness: 13 mm
• Display size: 4.00"
• Announced: 2009, November
• Colors: Sensous Black, Luster White
• Network: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - HSDPA 900 / 1700 / 2100 - 3G HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 / 800
• Screen Resolution: 480 x 854 pixels TFT capacitive touchscreen, 65K colors - Scratch-resistant surface
• Data: GPRS Class 10, EDGE Class 10, 3G HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, DLNA, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB v2.0 microUSB
• Memory: Internal phone storage 1 GB storage, 384 MB RAM, microSD, up to 32GB
• Connectivity: USB v2.0 microUSB, Bluetooth 2.1
• Web Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
• Media and Music: MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player, MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player, Suppoerted (AAC, H.263, H.264, MP3, MPEG-4, WAV, eAAC+, WMA v10, MIDI, AAC+)
• Camera: 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash Digital Camera
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
• Expansion Slot: microSD supports up to 32 GB microSD
• Tones: Vibration, MP3, WAV ringtones
• Software Features: Android OS 1.6
• CPU: Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon 1 GHz processor
• Other Features: Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk , Voice Recognition, Embedded JAVA™ Games, Scheduler, Stop watch
• US Sar Values: Head: 0.87, Body: 0.81
• Battery: Li-Po 1500 mAh (BST-41)
• Talk Time: up to 600 mins
• Standby: up to 415 hours

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Large and bright touchscreen
• Fast processor that offers great performance
• Timescape and Mediascape interface that enhances its appeal
• 3G connectivity plus quad band GSM

Cons:

• Flash support absent
• Voice quality can be improved

Conclusion

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 is arguably the best phone manufactured by Sony ericsson till date. However, it may not be the best android phone around. It offers excellent Internet communication. This is the ideal phone for those who wish to have excellent media elements in their phones. Unfortunately, X10 does not offer multitouch. Its fast speed and great interface and screen are sure to attract many.

Some of the color options include spring rose and lucid blue. The interesting light effects, ripple patterns, external screen lend a distinctive personality to this otherwise moderately priced phone. This upbeat and stylish handset intends to capture the fancy of the younger generation but it is a phone for all ages. If bling is your thing and you love matching your accessories with your outfit the Sony Ericsson T707 is the phone for you.

Design and Dimensions

The Sony Ericsson T707 is 14.1mm thick and weighs about 95 grams. The weight is evenly distributed which makes holding the phone convenient. It has a 2.2 inches display screen that supports up to 256K colors and has a QVGA resolution. The flat keypad of T707 lights up gradually in phases- first the D-pad, then the navigation key and finally the alphanumeric keys.

The spacing between the keys is too large which may pose some difficulty. The texture of super fine grooves offers a firm grip and is also pleasant to touch. On the right hand side lies the volume control and a slit which can be mistaken for the card slot. Actually the slit is made to facilitate opening of the back cover protecting the card slot. The back of the device, made of matte plastic, features the loudspeaker and the Sony Ericson logo.

The exterior of the T707 is quite elegant. The secondary display remains hidden in a large semi circle and when in off- mode, it blends with the surface. Although not very big, the monochrome external display does manage to squeeze in vital information such as the time, battery life, signal strength and missed events.

Camera

The T707 handset has a built-in 3.2 megapixel camera. It also comes with digital zoom, LED flash, photo fix, photo blogging, photo feed and geo tagging features. This allows the user not only to capture quality images but also share them with friends and family and edit them too. The maximum resolution of the camera is 2048 x 1536 pixels. Unfortunately the camera does not have autofocus or flash. Snaps can be taken by holding the handset in portrait mode where part of the display serves as the viewfinder and the center of the navigation button serves as the capture button.

Sony Ericsson T707 Basic Features

The Sony Ericsson T707 packs in a lot of interesting features like Scratch-resistant surface for both displays, Bluetooth with A2DP, M2 card slot (up to 16 GB), Basic multi-tasking support, Gesture control, Light effects with 5 colors, Smart dialing, Threaded messaging and many more. Gesture control is an interesting feature of T707 that allows users to reject calls or pit the phone in silent mode by a simple wave of the hand. Besides, smart dialing also boosts the usability of the product.

Interface: The interface of T707 is the same as any Sony Ericsson top phones. The stand-by screen allows users to check out information like battery life, signal strength and currently used data carrier displayed on the top. The menu layout options are the same as before- from theme, 3x 4 grid of icons, rotating icon view and single icon view.

The Activity menu offers quick access to a list of favorites as defined by the user, recently occurred events, web and the Running applications tab facilitates multitasking. Flash Lite themes to change the color scheme and wallpaper are also supported by T707. Clarity, Dandelion, Forest tale and Pink lilac are the preinstalled themes in the handset.

Phone Book: The phone book can hold up to 1000 contacts and 7000 phone numbers. Contacts can be viewed either on the phone memory or on the SIM but not both. Either way the phone can be set up to auto save all contacts saved to the phone memory and the SIM. Also a back up of the contacts list can be stored on the memory card and restored when needed.

Screen

The Sony Ericsson T707 has 2.2 inches, 262.144 color TFT screen with a resolution of 240x320 pixels. It uses its standard proprietary system, has clearly labeled menus, distinct colorful icons. The primary display performs quite well and remains legible under sunlight. The image quality is good and it makes taking pictures an enjoyable exercise.

Keypad and Controls

The Sony Ericsson T707 has a completely flat keypad with large circular keys. But the excessive spacing between the keys makes touch orientation difficult. The shallow keystrokes also hinder typing feedback. However the texture of the super fine grooves in the keypad offers a comfortable grip and is pleasant to touch. The keypad of T707 illuminates in phases- first the D-pad, then the navigation key and finally the alphanumeric keys. The volume control key is on the right-hand side.

Audio

The sound quality of the Sony Ericsson T707 is average. Like most of Sony Ericsson’s mid-rangers the T707 offers a great score on most readings but the frequency response is bad. It has boosted bass and treble and reduced mid-frequency sounds. However the distortion level is quite good with excellent stereo crosstalk, noise level and dynamic range. Thus if you ignore the frequency response the T707 is quite a talented musician.

Messaging: A host of messaging services is available on the Sony Ericsson T707. These include services like SMS, MMS, E-mailing and Exchange ActiveSync. The predictive text input feature can also be found on the T707. This makes the process even more fast and easy.

Sony Ericsson T707 Media

The music player found on T707 is version 3.0. Numerous file formats are supported by the player including stereo widening and MegaBass equalizer preset. The music player can be set to run in the background.

The Sony Ericsson T707 includes a stereo headset plus an FM radio antenna on the cable. It can house up to 20 radio stations and also provides support for RDS. The interface is good and it utilizes the TrackId music recognition service. The radio can also be set to play in the background but is devoid of any fancy graphics.

The video player support fast forwarding and rewinding. The interface has been kept simple but slick and stylish. The video files can be accessed through the file manager also. The video section has the pre-installed YouTube client which offers complete access to clips, bookmarked favorites, uploading etc.

Internet

Users can access the Internet from their T707 handset since it comes with an in-built Access NetFront browser, Web Feeds and WAP web browsing technologies. A number of shortcuts are listed on the home screen and they are arranged in a tree structure under the search and address bar. The appearance of the home screen changes to different colors each time the browser is started. The virtual mouse pointer offered by T707 is also an interesting feature- so is the "Find on page" option.

Storage

The T707 has 100 MB of internal memory. Along with this there is the Memory Stick Micro M2 support up to 16 GB. By enhancing the memory one can store a lot more snaps, videos, songs, downloads without worrying about the space.

Connectivity and Data

The Sony Ericsson T707 scores very highly when it comes to connectivity options. Fast Internet and data transfers can be accomplished with the help of GPRS, EDGE and 3G HSDPA technologies. As the T707 operates on the Quad network that covers GSM- 850/900/1800/1900 and HSDPA – 2100, it can be used anywhere in the world. The Bluetooth and USB connector available in T707 helps connect to other compatible devices.

Usability and Performance

The Sony Ericsson T707 combines a mix of great features and complies with user expectations without exceeding them in any way. Its clamshell design and receding hinge place the speaker and microphone in the proper place when on a call. The keypad is well spaced, which implies the fingers have to travel further from one key to another but nevertheless it is better than a cramped up keyboard.

Related Phones: Sony Ericsson T650 - Nokia 5250

The phone also has a durable battery. Up to 10 hours of GSM talk time and 400 hours of GSM stand-by time can be expected. This implies 4 hours of HSDPA talk time and up to 400 hours of HSDPA stand-by time. Video calls can be enjoyed up to 2 hours but this depends on the battery charge and phones usage.

Sony Ericsson T707 Phone Specifications

• Weight: 95 g
• Width: 93 mm
• Height: 50 mm
• Thickness: 14.1 mm
• Display size: 2.2"
• Announced: 2009, March
• Colors: Mysterious Black, Spring Rose, Lucid Blue, Lime Forest, Sensitive Bronze
• Network: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - HSDPA 2100
• Screen Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels and 1.1" internal monochromatic OLED display at 128 x 36 resolution
• Data: HSDPA speed, GPRS Class 10, EDGE Class 10, HSCSD, USB 2.0 Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
• Memory: Memory Stick Micro (M2), up to 16 GB / microSD, 100MB Shared Memory
• Connectivity: USB v2.0, Bluetooth, v2.0
• Web Browser: WAP 2.0/HTML (NetFront)
• Media and Music: MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WMApro player - MPEG4/WMV/H.263 player
• Camera: 3.2 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, LED flash, video
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, Push Email
• Expansion Slot: microSD
• Tones: Vibration, MP3, AAC- Composer, Polyphonic ringtones
• Software Features: Proprietary - Java MIDP 2.1, CLDC 1.1, Java
• Other Features: Voice Dialing, Voice Commands, Games, Clock, Alarm, T9, Handsfree, Geo-tagging (cell-ID), Organizer9
• Battery: Lithium ion
• Talk Time: up to 600 mins
• Standby: up to 400 hours

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Great light effects with 5 colors assignable to different contacts.
• Gesture control
• Smart dialing
• Quad band GSM, support for 3G and HSDPA
• 3.2 megapixel camera with geo tagging
• 2.2 inches TFT screen with 140 x 320 pixels resolution

Cons:

• Auto focus or LED flash is not present in the camera.
• The external display is not legible under direct sunlight.
• Document viewer is absent.
• Lack of typing feedback in the keyboard.

Conclusion

The Sony Ericsson T707 is undoubtedly one the best mid-range handsets. It provides all features that one can expect from a handset in the same range- 3 megapixel camera, 3G support, FM radio, M2 memory card slot and a great design. It presents an attractive package for all die-hard clamshell fans. There is nothing about this phone that you cannot find in any other phones of the same range but the eye-catching design is very attractive- especially when the external lights start to throb on receiving a message or missed call.

Sony Ericsson released during the last quarter of 2006 the EDGE capable brother to the W850; the W830 and the W830i. Both phones share the same functions and capabilities. The only difference is that the W850 is targeted towards the Chinese market and therefore comes with a Chinese keypad. The W830i is designed for the rest of Southeast Asia. In this light, this article will refer to the unit at hand simply as the Sony Ericsson W830.

As stated above, the W830 shares many of the same functions as the Sony Ericsson W850, including its looks, which will be much to a lot of people's chagrin, with the most noticeable difference being that the W830 is EDGE capable whereas the W850 only supports UMTS and GSM.

Sony Ericsson W830 Camera and Display

The Sony Ericsson W830 sports a 2.0 mega pixel camera that is not only capable of taking pictures for up to a maximum of 1600 x 1200 resolution, but also capture videos on the go. The lens on the W830 can zoom in on your subject to up to 4x digitally giving the user more flexibility when taking photographs. The user can then store edit and share their pictures right on the handset itself with the use of Photoalbum (MY Pictures). And the sharing doesn't end there as the Photoalbum feature makes it possible for the user to store more images or receive pictures from a computer or a digital camera, making it not just functional but also fun. Also, with the camera buttons situated at the top when the phone is held in landscape mode, the user would feel as though he or she is using a real digital camera and not a phone.

Videos on the Sony Ericsson W830 is captured in the now popular 3GP format and the quality is more than sufficient especially for a phone with video recording not regarded as a primary function. After all, the W830 is still first and foremost a Walkman phone. A nice and welcome inclusion with the handset is the VideoDJ feature which makes it possible for the user to edit and piece together various video clips.

Pictures and video clips are then displayed with the phone's beautiful and sleek two inch 262k TFT color screen at 240 x 320 pixels. The screen resolution is not much really but is more than enough for most purchasers, especially considering the many features of the W830.

Sony Ericsson W830 Design and Accessories

The W830 is a slider type phone with only the two inch display screen, the navigation pad, and the Walkman 2.0 launch button being the most prominent keys in front. Sliding the handset open is a cinch and can easily be done so with a single hand. With the W830 open then, the user is presented with the beautiful and ergonomically designed keypad. The different keys are nicely spaced out and can easily be operated. Not the same can be said though with the navigation key in front of the W830 which takes much more effort to operate. The Walkman launch key at the top of the navigation pad is situated too close to the button that one is most likely to accidentally push the launch button instead of the up button and vice versa. But all that can be easily overlooked against the sleek and youthful design of the W830. And with the navigation key hassles aside, the W830 does have a user friendly interface and menu that going through the phone's features can be quite easy and even first time users can breeze through it without much hitches.

The unit comes in two variants: the Precious Black and the Golden White. But it is most likely that the Precious Black variant will be the more popular among the two. For one, although both of the W830's color options are made with the same matt finish casing and are therefore both fingerprint resistant, it is the Precious Black one that can hide those smudges more efficiently,

Now, this article would not be complete when the Walkman feature of the Sony Ericsson W830 is not touched upon. First off, and greatly noticeable is the phone's crispy playback of audio files including codecs for MP3, AAC, and e-AAP+. With the W830's Walkman functionality, Sony Ericsson anticipated the target market wanting to fill up their handsets with tracks and so the Sony Ericsson W830 ships with one gigabyte of the Sony Memory Stick duo. This can easily be upgraded to as much as 4 gigabites via the W830's expansion slot. This means more music for the phone which will be a treat to listen to with the inclusion of exceptional sounding earphones included with the W830 unit.

Summary Sony Ericsson W830 Features

• Weight: 116 g
• Width: 47 mm
• Height: 98 mm
• Thickness: 21 mm
• Network: 2G Network (GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900)
• Screen Resolution: TFT, 256K colors, 240 x 320 pixels, 30 mm x 40 mm
• Data: GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, HSCSD
• Connectivity: Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, Infrared, USB
• Web Browser: WAP 2.0/HTML(NetFront), RSS feeds
• Music: Walkman 2.0 music player, FM radio with RDS
• Camera: 2 MP, 1600 x 1200 pixels, video, flash
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email
• Expansion Slot: Memory Stick Duo Pro, 1 GB card included, 16 MB shared memory
• Tones: Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3, AAC, Composer, download, Vibration
• Software Features: TrackID music recognition, Java MIDP 2.0, T9
• Other Features: Voice memo, Organiser, Built-in handsfree, Exchangeable covers, 3D games
• Battery: Standard battery, Li-Po 900 mAh, Stand-by Up to 350 h, Talk time Up to 7 h

PROS: The Sony Ericsson sliding design is sure to attract a lot of people. Of course, one can easily get attracted with the phone's design and the Walkman 2.0 player is such a treat to work with. Battery life is more than sufficient. The inclusion of the EDGE network support is a great step up from its model W850.

CONS: A bit pricey though, the W830 would not fit most people's budget. The camera, although not necessarily that bad, is also not very spectacular.

Overall: Overall a nice package if not only for the price.

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 has a combination of all the high technology features, which newer versions of the mobile phones are known for these days. This mobile actually focuses on mobile web and multimedia communication. Aside from this, browsing is even more exciting with the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1. Imagine being able to shift from the usual Internet Explorer Mobile into the more convenient Skyfire or Opera Mobile 9.5. Thus, with the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1, your notion about mobile phones will never be the same again.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 Camera and Display

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 has a built-in camera that is about 3.2 megapixels. It's even more interesting because it has auto focus, video recording and video light features that go with it. This means that video viewing and video streaming is very much possible with the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1. Thus, with a phone memory that can take up to about 400 MB, it can really store a lot of memories. If 400 MB does not seem sufficient enough for you, you can also use a memory card to store more data. This is since the SE XPERIA X1 is microSD compatible.

Moreover, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 has a VGA touch screen display which is about three inches wide. Its actual screen resolution is about 800 by 480 pixels. Navigation is very easy since it is accessible via touch and it has an arc-sliding type of QWERTY. This is along with a four way key and a direct optical joystick. This way, you will not have a problem in composing your text messages, MMS or e-mails. Thus, since it has a reliable operating system, which is the Windows Mobile 6, it is not only fast paced; connecting to the outside world is also very much attainable. Whether it's through Bluetooth, aGPS, Sync or the like, you are guaranteed to get what you need with the SE XPERIA X1.

Furthermore, through Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1's quad band and video calling feature, travelling with your mobile will never pose a problem about signal. That is, if you enrolled your cell phone with roaming privileges from your provider. Video calling allows you to see the person you are talking to. All these features and so much more ensure the conveniences and reliability that only the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 can provide.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 Design and Accessories

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 comes in 2 variations of color. You can choose from either a black or a silver casing. It weighs about 145 grams and it statistical size would be 110 mm x 53 mm x 16.7 mm. This would go for its height, width and thickness respectively.

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 also has an innovative arc-sliding design that lets you use its QWERTY keyboard with ease. Aside from this, it has a touch screen feature that lets you drag, delete and compose text messages or e-mails quickly. It may even be at a faster rate because the SE XPERIA X1 has a predictive text attribute. Thus, it has other navigational traits such as its optical joystick and navigation keys.

Moreover, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 comes with picture wallpapers you can choose from. It has an A2DP Bluetooth stereo, a Windows Media Player Mobile, a built-in FM radio and music tones. For its game features, it can accommodate 3D games through Java and Play Now.

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 also has other wonderful functions like its built-in document readers and editors, its handwriting recognition attribute and flight mode. Like other mobile phones, the SE XPERIA X1 is also equipped with an organizer for its alarm clock, calendar and calculator; along with its phone book, notes and tasks features. The convenience this offers would be the fact that you can set alarms for your appointments or significant dates, you can take note of vital matters and you can store a lot of important phone numbers. You can basically leave home with only the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 at hand.

Summary of Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 Features

• Weight: 145 grams
• Width: 53 mm
• Height: 110 mm
• Thickness: 16.7 mm
• Network: GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850, UMTS1700, UMTS1900, UMTS2100
• Screen Resolution: 800 x 480 pixels, Active TFT 65,536 colors supported
• Data: GPRS + EDGE + HSDPA + HSUPA
• Connectivity: aGPS, Bluetooth, USB, Modem, WLAN, Synchronization
• Web Browser: Internet Explorer Mobile, RSS Feeds
• Music: Bluetooth (A2DP), Media Player, Built-in FM Radio, Music Player
• Camera: 3.2 megapixels with auto-focus and video light features
• Messaging: MMS, SMS, E-mail
• Expansion Slot: microSD format (up to 400 MB)
• Tones: polyphonic and true tones
• Software Features: Calculator, Alarm Clock, Java Games, Calendar, Themes
• Other Features: Speaker phone, Video calling, Predictive Text, Document readers, Voice command, Voice memo, Push to talk, Vibration, Optical joystick navigation, Handwriting recognition, Flight mode, Touch screen
• Battery: Li-Ion, 4 hours talk time, 370 hours standby

Pros: The best feature of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 would be its high resolution built-in camera and its high memory capacity. This is a good thing for people who are very fond of taking pictures or videos of unforgettable moments and events. You will also enjoy the fact that you don't need to bring a digital camera and a video cam because the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 has everything rolled up handy for you. Aside from this, the SE XPERIA X1 gives you a ton of ways to connect to the outside world. You can make your transactions and communicate with anybody in the world with ease. Add the fact that the SE XPERIA X1 has a video calling feature, which lets you see the person on the other end of the line.

Cons: Actually, there has not been any negative feedback yet about the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1. This is because it has not been fully released in the market. It has only been released in the UK just recently. The only remark it may get would be its expensive tag. Thus, with the numerous innovative features and conveniences that the SE XPERIA X1 has, it may take a while before we see even one negative remark.

Overall: The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 is really a mobile for the new generation. Its innovative features allow you to experience the comforts and conveniences of the modern world. It lets you multi-task, transact and communicate effectively. You can easily reach out and do your job without having to go to your office. You can connect to the internet and do your tasks even if you're on vacation. Thus, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 is really something to look forward to.

If you are familiar and have been enamored with the Sony Ericsson K750 then the W800 will have your pulses pumping even more. It is one of the most eagerly awaited releases from the Japanese-Swedish company, and the whole mobile phone industry in general.

And like the K750, the W800 has brilliant function menus, a very able camera and great sounding earphones that come bundled with the phone itself. And rightly so as this unit has the “W” Walkman logo and for all of us who are serious about music know that the name Walkman is the benchmark upon which every brand tries to live up to. And the good news is that the W800 is not expected to reach astronomical price tags.

Sony Ericsson W800 Camera and Display

The 2 mega pixel camera that is integrated with the Sony Ericsson W800 lets the user take surprisingly wonderful pictures making this handset not only a viable music player but a convincing digital camera as well. The images look crisp and sharp and vivid enough for exceptional color definition. Different resolutions are also available such as: 160 x 120 pixels, 640 x 480 pixels and the maximum resolution of 1632 x 1224 pixels, all in the popular JPEG format. And pictures are represented beautifully with the W800s 176 x 220 pixels, 256K color screen.

And not only does the W800 take wonderful pictures, operating it is a breeze as well as this handset mimics a consumer level digital camera when it is turned sideways. In this manner, the side buttons now sits on top which is easier for your fingers to find and more intuitive to use.

And for those moments that still pictures just are not enough, the W800's camera also doubles it duty as a camcorder. It can capture images in 176 x 144 pixels, 3G formats. Now, it may be that a video capability is not the W800's strongest suit, it could not be considered as a weakness also as the videos came out decently enough.

Sony Ericsson W800 Design and Accessories

The Sony Ericsson W800 is available only in one color scheme. Such a shame one would be likely to say, but when you witness the available theme of creamy white with metal orange motif up close, you would think that no other color combination could be better than this one. And this has been the sentiments of almost all who beheld the beauty that is the W800. There are additional components in the phone given the glossy silver treatment but this seems to be unobtrusive and does not take away the main color scheme and in fact enhances its effect.

And when it comes to ergonomics, the Sony Ericsson W800 has it. Keypad placement is just right and your presses are sure even though there is not much lift. This is much appreciated especially for those fond of sending text messages. This also eliminates the possibility of dialing in wrong numbers as you are not likely to miss a key. The joystick for navigating the w800's menu was also easy to use which was surprising to say the least as joysticks have been the bane of many brands trying to equip their handsets with. Perhaps it was the joystick's quick response and the orange rubber cap that fits right on top, therefore making it “stick” with the middle part of your thumb.

And of course this would not be a Walkman phone without its music functionalities. And as such the Sony Ericsson W800 comes with a neat pair of earphones that sound great right out of the box. Users no longer need to make an after market purchase of new headsets as they are bound to like what they hear with the W800. And if in case you still feel that the music experience is still lacking with the W800 then one push (so to speak) of the MegaBass function and your tracks will come out booming with beautiful low frequencies unheard of with other handsets boasting of MP3 capabilities. On a side note, the MegaBass brand may already be familiar for those audiophiles from twenty years back and was almost always found in portable Sony products and is a welcome tradition that Sony brought with them when they developed the W800.

Aside from the great sounding ear pieces, the Sony Ericsson W800 also comes bundled with a 512 MB memory card, which is more than enough space for your starting music collection of about 120 songs give or take. If you think that is too small you should remember that the iPod shuffle came in the 512 MB variant when it was first introduced in the market and at quite a hefty price and this didn't seem to bother a lot of music aficionados. And you could always purchase a memory card with bigger capacities as storage devices' prices have been plummeting as of late.

Summary Sony Ericsson W800 Features

• Weight: 99 g (including battery)
• Width: 46 mm
• Height: 100 mm
• Thickness: 20.5 mm
• Network: GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900
• Screen Resolution: Graphica, TFT, 256 thousand colors, 176 x 220 pixels
• Data: Yes, Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
• Connectivity: USB, Bluetooth v2.0, Infrared
• Web Browser: WAP 2.0 / xHTML
• Music: MP3, AAC, WAV, MP4, FM Radio
• Camera: 2 MP, 1632x1224 pixels, autofocus, video, flash
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, Instant Messaging
• Expansion Slot: Memory Stick Duo Pro, 512 MB card included
• Tones: 40 voices, MP3, Vibrating Alert
• Software Features: Java
• Other Features: Games
• Battery: Li-PoAmperage 900 mAh, 9 hours talk time, 400 hours stand by time

PROS: As with a lot of mobile phones, and all gadgets for that matter, what we mostly notice at first sight is the design. With the Sony Ericsson W800, this would not be an issue as this handset looks stylish enough for both ladies and gentlemen, professional or otherwise. The Sony Walkman logo lives up to its already legendary name as music played seamlessly and sounded crisp with a lot of definition. The MegaBass was also a welcome and useful addition.

CONS: Although not really bothersome, the lack of color scheme options was strange. Like the previous K750 model, the W800 also does not support EDGE which would surely lose a lot of would-be purchasers looking for this support. Also, as big as the included memory card of 512 may be, it does not support mass storage capabilities.

Overall: For all intents and purposes as a mobile phone, the W800 passes with flying colors. And the Walkman brand does not disappoint. In conclusion, the W800 is not a great device for having many features, its making the features work beautifully that mattered, which the Sony Ericsson managed to do.

Sony Ericsson W850 A lot of us may already be familiar with the Sony Ericsson W850 when it was used in the movie "Da Vinci Code" for its web browsing capabilities. That was before the phone was released and created quite a stir for those who love cell phones and was surprised to see an “unknown” model in a movie. That being said, the W850 does borrow a lot of its appearance from the Sony Ericsson W800.

The W850 has since been released and comes in two choices: matt black and pearl white. And may very well be a worthy option for consumers looking for multi-functional handsets. Depending on the country of purchase, the retail package should include the W850 handset, a Sony Ericsson stereo headset (the HPM-70), a USB cable for connecting the unit to a computer, and a whopping one gigabyte of Memory Stick Duo Pro. Albeit much like the aforementioned W800, the W850 is a bit on the expensive side.

However the W850 is loaded with features a lot of modern phone users look for in a cell phone. First of all, the W850 is a 3G capable phone and supports video calls utilizing the GPRS / UNTS networks. You can also take photos and videos with its 2 mega pixel camera, browse the web with the integrated Google search, download and play music with its digital music player – the new and improved Walkman 2.0. With the factory supplied 1 gigabyte of Memory Stick PRO, the user may store as many as 1,000 songs. And if that should prove to still be not enough for your tracks, photos and videos, you can always opt to purchase a memory card with a larger capacity and slide it in the expansion slot at the top of the W850, next to the on / off key. With all these features, it is nice to note that the Sony Ericsson W850 can run up to three Java applications at any given time.

This means that the user can now browse the internet while chatting with friends through the instant messenger client, play downloadable Java games, and listen to his / her tunes with the Walkman 2.0 music player. This is far better than their previous model, the W800, which can only run one Java application and regular application at the same time. That is good news for purchasers looking for great cell phone flexibility and functionality without having to buy overly expensive smart phones.

Sony Ericsson W850 Camera and Display

The Sony Ericsson W850, like many modern phones, is equipped with a camera. It boasts of high quality 2.0 mega pixels and is able to capture your great moments and display them in 262K glorious colors in a QVGA resolution through the W850's large 2 inch TFT display. What very well may be a great source of disappointment to many though is the W850's lack of auto focus. Although it offers a lot of the standard features of a camera phone like self-timer, night mode, frames, panorama, white balance correlation, several color effects and burst shooting mode, the lack of auto focus is quite a surprise. Maybe as a direct result, the camera of the W850 performs rather below what is expected. It does its purpose satisfactorily but without eliciting much excitement with its output.

That being said, the Sony Ericsson W850 does redeem itself when it comes to its screen display. With the handset's slider panel closed, the screen takes up almost the entire facade of the phone and it does so to great effect. Images on the screen come out vividly with a very nice and pleasant contrast. All this is due to the strategically placed light sensor at the top of the W850. It works by varying the display brightness of the screen display according to the lighting environment or available ambient light. So when the W850 is used in a dark environment, the light sensor dims the screen as not to overwhelm the user. Likewise, the screen is brightened more by the light sensor when the W850 is used in broad day light, as to greatly improve the readability of the display. But it would be wrong to expect too much in this situation though, as the display still didn't give the satisfying result as other handsets like Nokia's sun-proof displays.

Sony Ericsson W850 Design and Accessories

If you are looking for stylishly slim phones then the Sony Ericsson W850 is not for you. As it is a slider type phone and although lightweight, it tends to be on the bulky side but this is not a disadvantage. In fact, holding the handset, it gives that sturdy feeling in your hands. Plus the matt finish works to its advantage as it does not easily attract fingerprints. Except of course for the big screen display, but that is always a given with any phone. One thing you'll probably notice while holding it though is that the phone tends to squeak probably due to the assembly of the top (screen) and bottom (keypad) panels. That being said though, the W850's front panel slides open and shut quite easily and can be managed to be done so with one hand without much effort. This is particularly good for the busy-handed professionals who seem to be always holding documents or a briefcase when answering calls.

A great addition to the W850's package is the one gigabyte Memory Stick Duo which is a lot more than what most handsets have to offer, if indeed they offer any memory card at all. This is of utmost importance to say the least for cell phones offering multi-functionalities such as video and music playback. And being adorned with the now familiar "W" Walkman logo, the developers might have anticipated the probable market filling their units with tracks, hence the inclusion of not only the one gigabyte memory, but also the expansion slot at the top portion of the unit.

A source of frustration though is the navigation pad at the bottom of the screen of the W850. The buttons do require a bit more effort to push and one would almost always accidentally push the Walkman launch button which is situated atop the "up" button of the navigation pad.

Summary of Sony Ericsson W850 Features

• Weight: 116 g
• Width: 47 mm
• Height: 98 mm
• Thickness: 21 mm
• Network: 2G Network (GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900), 3G Network (UMTS 2100)
• Screen Resolution: TFT, 256K colors, 240 x 320 pixels, 30 mm x 40 mm
• Data: GPRS - Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, 3G - 384 kbps, Bluetooth - v2.0 with A2DP
• Connectivity: Bluetooth v2.0, Infrared, USB
• Web Browser: WAP 2.0/HTML(NetFront), RSS feeds
• Music: Walkman 2.0 music player with TrackID music recognition, FM radio with RDS
• Camera: 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video(QCIF), flash; secondary video call camera
• Messaging: Email, MMS, SMS long
• Expansion Slot: Memory Stick Duo Pro, 16 MB shared memory
• Tones: Polyphonic ringtones, Vibrating alert
• Software Features: 3D Games, Java MIDP 2.0
• Other Features: T9, Organiser, Voice memo, Built-in handsfree, Flight mode
• Battery: Standard battery, Li-Po 950 mAh (BST-33), Stand by time – Up to 350 hours, Talk time – Up to 7 h hours

PROS: The Sony Ericsson W850, to say the least has a lot of advantages over other units of its kind both in form and function. The Walkman 2.0 player is especially a treat to use. Of course the one gigabyte memory should please just about anyone, professional or otherwise.

CONS: The navigation pad on the W850 would take more than just getting used to and would especially be hard for those with big fingers. The lack of auto focus with the camera is also an unpleasant surprise. Also, support for the EDGE network is suspiciously missing especially for an expensive phone boasting 3G functionality.

Overall: The Sony Ericsson W850 does provide a lot of functions and presents itself very well with regards to its appearance. The hefty price tag might put off a lot of its target market though, especially with the absence of EDGE support. But truth be told, the Walkman feature alone is enough for almost everyone when deciding on a purchase.

There was a time when the Sony Ericsson K800 was the camera phone on everybody's wish list. With its three mega pixel camera and a host of other features, the K800 was the handset to beat and top for many. But with the advent of five mega pixel cameras like Nokia's N95, which proved to be a very popular model amongst the cell phone and gadget aficionados alike, and the competition for the high end consumer market getting stiffer, Sony Ericsson decided to go with the flow and released the Sony Ericsson K850.

It is replacing the popular line of Cyber-shots it seems, and it is apparent though that the K850 took from the Cyber-shot when it comes to its form and function. This design was already started with the K810 and is now greatly improved upon; giving the consumers the style and function they need in the busy urban jungle.

Sony Ericsson K850 Camera and Display

As mentioned earlier, to be able to compete and probably get ahead in the cell phone consumer war, the developers over at Sony Ericsson designed the K850. It is a 5 mega pixel camera phone capable of capturing photos at a maximum resolution of 2592 Ñ… 1944 pixels and record video at 30 frames per second QVGA. That video frame rate standard is a lot more than most handsets offering only 15 frames per second.

Of course picture editing software is present for the user to be able to enhance or embellish the already excellent photos taken with the K850's lens, which has auto focus, unlike other models currently in offering. And just like with the previous "K" series phones, you can expect a lot of the Cyber-shot devices integrated with the K850. For example, the left software key to launch the options menu to choose the best mode for your shots like panorama, normal, night mode and frames is still present. With that key the user can also set the resolution, self timer, white balance and the ISO. And brushing upon the subject of the K850's ISO, the settings resemble that of real digital cameras with options like: Auto, 100, 200, and 400. Aside from these, there is also an Edit submenu which hosts other settings that any given user would rarely tweak. At the side of the handset you will also find the now already familiar three way switch to choose between camera, camcorder and playback, just like on digital cameras.

With regards to the K850's video capabilities, Sony Ericsson greatly improved with this handset and can now capture videos in 320 x 320 pixel QVGA resolution at thirty frames per second. Although not up to par with Nokia's N95 which has the better VGA resolution, still the K850's QVGA works like a charm and is sufficient for most users, especially for uploading or streaming videos over the internet.

The 2.2 inch display of the K850 though is a treat to view pictures or even videos with as a lot of details can still be seen thanks to its 240 x 320 pixel resolution. Although still small compared to the N95's 2.6 inch display screen, the one on the K850 will be more than enough for those upgrading from the usual under 2 inches of other models.

Sony Ericsson K850 Design and Accessories

With regards to the Sony Ericsson K850's design, a lot of consumers will be pleased. It definitely looks stylish and would fit a wide range of personalities, whether you be the suit-wearing business type, the active young urban professional, or the individual with an artistic flair. The integration of the camera into the phone looks rather seamless that it looks as though you are holding either a digital camera or a cell phone, depending on the angle the handset is viewed. Of course the green and silver Sony Ericsson logo looks trendy and elegant against the glossy black casing of the K850. The phone looks especially high tech when turning on, with the glowing red button on the top of the phone and the blue light around the lens.

The elegant accent is extended on the face of the phone, with the green strip around the navigation pad for its easy location. This is because the navigation keys are integrated with the alphanumerical keypad of the K850. In this case, the form preceded the function as this integration makes it rather difficult to operate. To give you a more visual description, to save space and make up for more screen size while maintaining a compact design, the number 2 and 5 on the alphanumerical keypad is integrated with the navigation pad itself as opposed to giving the navigation pad its own space. This is strange as most users complain that navigation keys are almost always situated too near the number two key that integrating it would only render it worse. And it really takes a lot of getting used to.

Summary of Sony Ericsson K850 Features

• Weight: 118 g
• Width: 48 mm
• Height: 102 mm
• Thickness: 17 mm
• Network: 2G – GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G – HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
• Screen Resolution: 2.2 inches TFT Screen, 256 Colors, 240 x 320 pixels
• Data: GPRS Class 10 (4 + 1/3 + 2 slots), 32 – 48 kbps
• Connectivity: EDGE, HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP ,USB v2.0
• Web Browser: WAP 2.0/HTML (NetFront), RSS reader
• Music: MP3 / AAC / MPEG4 player, FM radio with RDS
• Camera: 5 MP, 2592Ñ…1944 pixels, autofocus, video(QVGA@30fps), xenon flash and 3LED video light, auto lens cover, secondary video call camera
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
• Expansion Slot: Memory Stick Micro (M2) / microSD, 512 MB card included
• Tones: ----
• Software Features: Java MIDP 2.0
• Other Features: Motion sensor (with UI auto-rotate) TrackID music recognition, T9 Organiser, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo/dial
• Battery: Standard battery, Li-Po 930 mAh (BST-38), Up to 400 hours Stand-by and Up to 9 hours talk time

PROS: The 5 mega pixel camera works like a charm and the video resolution offers more detail than most camera phones. The integration of the camera to the phone is seamless, giving this handset the feel of a cell phone “and” real digital camera, rather than being a phone “with” a camera.

CONS: Probably the most common gripe with this phone would be the placement of the navigation pad. Although it looks really clean with the end result having less button clutter, the payback is in the usage which makes navigating through the K850's menu rather hard.

Overall: Taking into considerations all of the Sony Ericsson K850's pros and cons though, it is overall a great tool to have and the bad can easily be overlooked when considering all the great features.

Just last January, mobile phone giant Sony Ericsson has announced the launch of two new sleek and stylish additions to its line of cellular phone models – the Sony Ericssson T270 and T280, to be available during the first quarter of 2008. Largely based on the highly successful T610, the two new handsets has got both style and uncompromising functionality which boasts of a great number of features the targeted business class consumer will definitley look for.

Now, Sony Ericsson has consistently put out unit after unit of well received handsets for quite some time already and with the T270 and T280, it looks like they are bent on solidifying their mark in the cell phone industry. Both units share a lot of similar functions though each with a definite target market in mind, with the T280 serving as the big brother between the two when it comes to features and capabilities. It is in that light the it would be the sensible thing to take a more intimate and closer look at the Sony Ericsson T280.

Sony Ericsson T280 Camera and Display

The T280's brushed metal finish houses a 1.3 mega pixel camera with 4x digital zoom. A definite upgrade from previous models of Sony Ericsson housing VGA cameras. That being said however, a 1.3 mega pixel camera is still a little bit behind compared to the cameras of recent mobile phones from its competing brands. But images taken with the T280 still come out clear enough even when printed on standard photo papers at 3 inches x 4 inches. And if you choose to view your shots without having to print, you may do so without hitches, thanks to the T280's 1.7 inch TFT screen displaying up to 65K colors at 128 x 160 pixels. And what's more, the T280 lets you take pictures that you can send to your friends via the phone's Bluetooth support.

Moving your way through the T280's menu is effortless because of its navigation key and the available shortcuts. And texting couldn't be easier with the predictive text input technology which is an intelligent software wherein typing words on a mobile phone is made easier. This is achieved with the phone utilizing a large database of words so everytime you start typing, the phone guesses the word you are trying to encode. This is very useful especially for a phone designed for the businessman on the go.

Sony Ericsson T280 Design and Accessories

Design has always been Sony Ericsson's greatest appeal. And the T280 is definitely a phone you could stare at with great pleasure. It's color combination of silver on black and copper on silver, available for both the T270 and T280, gives off a sense of warmth and maturity. But do not get these units wrong. They are not all about serious business though, as like it's targeted audience, these phones know how to be fun. With capabilities of MP3 and having a built in FM radio, the T280 is capable of using MP3 playback of tunes in your playlist as its ringtone. The provided ear buds does not sound so bad either as is the pitfall of most MP3 capable cell phones. But the good thing about this unit is that in case you find the headphone's sound still leaving a lot to be desired, you may use your existing headphones with a 1.5 inch stereo jack. Or if not, the T280 has built in stereo speakers that although does not sound all that well, is a rather enjoyable experience.

Your tunes, images, videos and other files all share residence in the T280's built in phone memory space of just a miniscule 10 mega bytes. That is not much and the phone's internal memory can easliy be filled up. It has no slot for when you want to expand the phone's memory slot so you must choose what you want to bring with very well.

So, with the possibilty of making your T280 double as a portable media player virtually impossible, it does have a lot of charm and functions to help you while away the time. So fret not, for there is of course the built in stereo FM tuner which provides excellent and clear radio signal.

Other must have features for phone targeted at the business man like a calculator, phone book, tasks manager and calculator is rightfully present. And if you are up for a little bit of fun after all that work, the Sony Ericsson T280 is able to play downloaded games.

Summary of Sony Ericsson T280 Features

• Weight: 82 g
• Width: 45 mm
• Height: 100 mm
• Thickness: 13 mm
• Network: 2G Network (GSM 900 / 1800 - T280i) (GSM 900 / 1800 - T280i)
• Screen Resolution: 128 x 160 pixels, 1.7 inches, TFT, 65K colors
• Data: ----
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB V2.0
• Web Browser: WAP 2.0, XHTML
• Music: MP3, FM radio RDS
• Camera: 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels
• Messaging: SMS, MMS
• Expansion Slot: None
• Tones: Polyphonic
• Software Features: ----
• Other Features: ----
• Battery: Standard battery, Li-Po 780 mAh (BST-36), Standby time Up to 300 hours, Talk time Up to 7 hours

PROS: Excellent design with a nice brushed metal finish. Long talk time of up to 7 hours. Bluetooth and USB connectivity, Predictive Text Input

CONS: No memory expansion slot. Very little phone memory space

Overall: All in all, with the Sony Ericsson's shortcomings aside, the T280 packs a great package for those who want a no frills approach to their mobile experience.

The W580i is another product by the Sony and Ericsson combined effort. The unit's stylish and no frills design utilizes a slide opening mechanism and is available in equally attractive silver / orange and black / orange color combinations. The new Walkman logo right beneath the screen alone is enough to make most mobile phone aficionados' hearts start pumping. Most especially true for the music loving mobile phone user looking for seamless cell phone and media player integration. The W580i's music player can play back not only MP3 files but AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ and WMA files as well, making it versatile. So Apple users would certainly delight in this fact as a lot of Mac users prefer the AAC format.

The W580i fails though in the memory department; providing only 12 mega bytes of built in memory. This is ironic since the W580i is targeted at the music-lugging demography, and 12 Mb is obviously not enough. As expected, the unit does have a memory slot for users who want to upgrade their storage with a Micro M2 memory card. Good thing that the W5801 has its own stereo FM tuner. Still, for its purpose the internal memory should have been enough for at least a decent collection of tracks.

Sony Ericsson W580i Camera and Display

The Sony Ericsson W580i houses a 2 mega pixel camera with digital zoom capable of recording still images and videos. And the built in camera in this unit is very reliable. It may not be the best in the market, but what you are getting is certainly great for its price. Bright outdoor shots have sharp details and pictures taken at overcast environments sill look decent. But as expected with camera phones, indoor photos do not render well and the picture noise level is noticeable. But all in all, picture taking with the W580i's camera is a pleasurable experience. It even comes with its own set of menus dedicated to the camera and video functions.

The user has the option of taking photographs in VGA, 1 mega pixel, or 2 mega pixel sizes. Additional shooting modes such as panorama and burst are also offered. Shots can be tweaked a bit more with the camera application's white balance, color effects, and others. A nice addition also is the photo blogging feature which allows the user to not only send images via MMS messaging but can also publish their photos directly from the phone to a blog site. Now that's mobility, and may get a big chunk of the web logging market. Photos are displayed well with the W580i's 240 x 320 pixel resolution screen.

Sony Ericsson W580i Design and Accessories

With the W580i, Sony Ericsson refuses to be outdone in the design department. It looks stylishly clever with a minimalist flair. With the slider closed, the façade is only occupied by the glorious screen, a large D-pad and a couple of buttons on each side. The orange accents give the W580i its youthful flair, especially with the Walkman logo at the center of the phone's width. Once you slide the W580i open, the ergonomically designed striking orange keypad is revealed. At this point though, the fun stops. As upon great inspection you will notice the frailty of the phone's keypad. This is a shame as with the unit targeted towards the youthful market, heavy duty texting is sure to occur.

This is no good when your keypad has the tendency to crack. And the slider is definitely no toughie either and has the tendency to quickly accumulate dust in between the two halves of the phone. The D-pad though is a joy to use. This is as should be considering that the D-pad will experience heavy use when navigating though songs and other files. When you don't have the luxury to look at the phone's D-pad when doing certain activities during music playback, therefore rendering it hard to navigate through your tracks, you may choose to just shake things up, literally. The W580i has a clever little feature called the Shake Control that allows the listener to skip to the next track by just pressing on the Walkman logo and then shaking the phone. This little feature proves very useful indeed, especially during athletic activities like jogging or biking.

Summary of Sony Ericsson W580i Features

• Weight: 94 g
• Width: 47 mm
• Height: 99 mm
• Thickness: 14 mm
• Network: Quad Band (GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800 & GSM 1900)
• Screen Resolution: diag: 2”. 262k TFT Color Screen (240 x 320 Pixels)
• Data: GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, HSCSD, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps
• Connectivity: EDGE, Bluetooth, USB, Fast Port, GPRS, Modem
• Web Browser: Access NetFrontâ„¢ Web Browser, RSS Feeds
• Music: FM Radio, Walkman® Music Player (MP3 & AAC)
• Camera: 2 Mega pixel Camera, 4 x Digital Zoom
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, SMS Long, Email
• Expansion Slot: Memory Stick Micro M2 Option
• Tones: Polyphonic Ringtones, MP3 & AAC Tones, Vibration
• Software Features: Sony Ericsson OS, PC Suite software
• Other Features: Java Games, MusicDJ, PlayNow, Picture Blogging, Macromedia Flash Lite
• Battery: Sony Ericsson standard BST-38 Li-Polymer rechargeable battery (3.6v). 930mAh capacity, 9 Hours Talk Time, 370 Hours Standby

PROS: Good camera, Shake control, Photo blogging, good quality inclusive ear buds, great connectivity, stylish and ergonomic design, more than decent music playback, long battery life

CONS: The keypad has tendencies to crack, slider easily accumulates dust, small memory space

Overall: If music is your thing and you are looking for a clever mobile phone and media player integration, then the W580i is definitely for you. It tops in both the form and function department with a lot more additional perks than its size would make you think possible.

Last January 24, 2008 in Delhi, India, the Sony Ericsson merger announced the launch of two new budget phones: The Sony Ericsson T270 and its big brother, the T280. They are a pair of affordable mobile phones with a definite flair for design. The similar looking phones are a pocket sized candy bar featuring a sleek brushed light metal with glass finish and comes in two color combinations; the Silver and Black and the sure to be a hit Copper and Silver combo. The only noticeable difference between the two is the absence of a camera lens at the back of the T270. But before you faint at the idea of a phone not having a camera - be aware first of the target audience of the T270, for it is definitely not a phone not for everyone.

According to Howard Lewis, Vice President and Head of Entry Level Products over at Sony Ericsson: "We have developed two phones that meet the needs of two distinct audiences. The T270 and T280 build on the appeal of iconic Sony Ericsson phones like the T610. They are good looking and tick all of the right boxes; whether it's for the business user wanting a compact work phone or the everyday user looking for a classic, stylish camera phone."

Sony Ericsson T270 Camera and Display

What gives the Sony Ericsson T270 distinction from its big brother, the T280, is the lack of a camera at the back of the unit. This is because the T270 is aimed at the business type consumers looking for a good mobile phone housing all their needs and without the unnecessary applications that would only be left to waste.

The T270 however takes pride in its gorgeous TFT screen displaying images at 128 x 160 pixels. Still not much compared to what other mobile phones have to offer, but keep in mind that this is a budget phone we are looking at and should be judged accordingly. No use comparing apples to lemons. And after all, adding more to the phone would only make it something it isn't meant to be, and that would greatly defeat its purpose.

Sony Ericsson T270 Design and Accessories

The Sony Ericsson T270 looks divine in its brushed steel casing and gives it an aura of expensiveness and sophistication. And truth be told, the absence of the camera at the back of the unit does give it a much cleaner look. And weighing in at only 82 grams including the battery, this is as light as it gets, perfect for those who like to travel light.

Don't be fooled by the words "budget phone" though as the T270 packs itself with the essential tools both for the busy professionals and the young casual users. For one, there is the Bluetooth connectivity so you can transfer your files seamlessly without having to get tangled in cables. For the business and traveling class, that's definitely a plus since a USB cable would only be considered as excess baggage.

And one does not have to miss out on important updates just because you do not have a computer with you all the time. That's where the T270's WAP browser comes in. Whether for checking your emails or just plain browsing as you await your next stop, the T270's Web connectivity is a great addition to the already convincing package. Whatever tasks your profession demands, the T270 can be your personal assistant and secretary.

Summary of Sony Ericsson T270 Features

• Weight: 82 g
• Width: 45 mm
• Height: 100 mm
• Thickness: 13 mm
• Network: 2G GSM 900 / 1800 (GSM 850 / 1900 for the North American version)
• Screen Resolution: TFT, 65K colors, 128 x 160 pixels, 1.7 inches
• Data: GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
• Connectivity: Bluetooth
• Web Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML
• Music: MP3, FM Radio
• Camera: None
• Messaging: SMS, MMS
• Expansion Slot: None
• Tones: Polyphonic, MP3, Vibration
• Software Features: JAVA MIDP 2.0
• Other Features: Calculator, Calendar, Games, Stopwatch, Built In Hands Free
• Battery: Standard battery, Li-Ion 780 mAh (BST-36) up to 300 hours stand by time and 7 hours talk time

PROS: The Sony Ericsson T270's outstanding and professional looking design is absolutely something that will give this mobile phone the edge among its class. Navigation is uncomplicated thanks to its clever navigation pad at the center and the aptly spaced buttons of the keypad. That means less mistakes especially when dialing or composing messages. The T270 also supports Bluetooth connectivity which makes file transfers fuss free. And the long battery life makes it a good choice for the frequent traveler.

CONS: As this is a budget phone with a definite target market, the absence of the camera is not an issue as Sony Ericsson already addressed that concern with the T280. That being said however, the screen could have been better. It is also disheartening to find the T270 not having an expansion slot at least to compensate for its small memory space. And while on the subject, 10 mega bytes of memory leaves a lot to be desired, especially with certain budget phones offering up to 256 mega bytes of internal memory. The lack of USB connectivity may also be a concern for some as not all computers and peripherals are Bluetooth capable.

Overall: After all is said and done, the Sony Ericsson T270 performs absolutely well and above a lot of its competition. This is a mobile phone designed after the needs of a definite audience and it does serve its purpose, and the T270 serves it marvelously. For all its intents and purposes, the T270 is unquestionably a magnificent choice.

Once in a while, we, as consumers, witness partnerships of big name companies that offer us products that either fall short of expectations or thrill and delight us in many ways. Apparently, the cellular phone industry is not excluded from this trend. For most, if not all of us, the names Sony and Ericsson are brands that need no further introduction.

Hard to believe that it was more than a decade ago that I had the fortune of having an Ericsson handset with a one liner monochrome display. Though packed with not a lot of features, even at that time, I appreciated it's tough and masculine feel and clear signal.

Now, of course, Sony is another brand name that we have come to love and has been a household name for as long as I can remember. Many a time we drooled over their television sets and stereo components at home and appliance center display windows. For many years it was the name to beat when it came to gadgets, and are still worthy benchmarks for all consumers and competition alike up to this day.

So when the names Sony and Ericsson were finally merged into one giant entity, many expectations and eyebrows were raised. Optimists eagerly awaited what cool and nifty features the researchers at Sony Ericsson can come up with while detractors (Nokia users perhaps) of course didn't think much of said partnership.

So, to see whether this partnership is worthy of a second glance, let's take a close look at one of their products, particularly the Sony Ericsson W960.

Sony Ericsson W960 Camera and Display

What better way to judge a cellphone than to look at the specs and nitty gritty of its camera capabilities. Quite ironic but it is what most consumers look for in cellphones nowadays. In fact I have come across many who crossed out certain handsets from their wish lists after hearing bad phone camera reviews.

Boasting of a 3.2 megapixel shutter complete with autofocus with a dedicated Macro mode and LED flash (dual in fact), and the ability to capture images at a maximum of 2048 x 1536 pixels, the W960 promises clear photos of your friend's  envious faces once you whip out this phone from your pocket and start clicking. For the novice user, there is of course the auto focus feature which you can turn off once you get the hang of it and decide you can do better than the phone's focal judgment.

Another standard is the automatic white balance. If you want to start getting a little artsy, the W960 offers a wide range of photo editing capabilities such as rendering your shots as black and white or sepia, or even applying solarization effects. If this is not enough for you, the W960 can even capture videos of your YouTube-worthy karaoke antics. It is with this feature that this unit falls short though, as it can only capture at 15 frames per second when set at the maximum video resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. If this would prove too choppy for you, you can opt to shoot at 30 fps although only at very low resolutions such as QCIF - 176 x 144. Something has to give I guess.

The length of video you can capture of course is dependent on the phone's available memory. Although this is sufficient for the average user, it's shortcomings regarding video capturing is quite of a let-down when compared to its competition.

Another disappointment would be the W960's TFT display. Although the screen size is ample at 2.6 diagonal inches, it only supports 262K colors QVGA at 240 x 320 pixels. This is a shame considering its camera capabilities. The screen is transreflective though which means it performs well even under bright sunlight.

Sony Ericsson W960 Design and Accessories

What I consider a plus with the W960 is its design. Although its casing is made out entirely of plastic, it feels sturdy and looks elegant as well. With phone dimensions of only 109 x 55 x 16 mm, this Sony Ericsson handset would fit comfortably into anyone's hand. Lefty users will have a hard time with the location of the jog wheel though as it seems it is designed with the general public of right handed users in mind. Users weary of supposedly “innovative” keypad designs which are just cell phone design novelty more often than not would greatly appreciate the W960's straightforward yet ergonomic keypad. And if that still proves too hard for jotting down messages, you can opt to use the virtual QUERTY keyboard on the phone's display. Or simply write down your messages using the supplied stylus pen for which the phone has great character recognition. Useful for those of us who can't seem to understand our own bad handwriting?

The W960 can also accommodate after-purchase accessories such as Bluetooth headphones and hands-free sets, portable speakers, and better-than-supplied stylus packs - pretty much what consumers might look for to accessorize their smart phones.

Perhaps it would be wrong to judge the W960 for it's lackluster performance in the video and display department. After all, this is a Walkman phone we're talking about, and this is where the strength of the phone lies – and where the Sony legacy comes in.

First of all, the W960 boasts of an 8gig on board memory – at par with the Apple iPhone. This alone is more than enough for a long, boring ride out of town, taking also into consideration that the W960 promises music playback for 27 hours when fully charged.

Another thing I love about this mobile phone (most people will probably love the W960 for it) is that once connected to a computer, the phone's memory is recognized as an external drive much like when a USB flash drive is plugged into the machine. This means no more fiddling for hours with any proprietary software. To get your music from the computer to your phone, simply drag and drop - via USB or Bluetooth.

Summary of Sony Ericsson W960 Features

• Weight: 119 g
• Dimension: 109 x 55 x 16 mm
• Network: GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 (2G), UMTS 2100 (3G)
• Screen Resolution: TFT touchscreen, 256K colors, 240 x 320 pixels, 2.6 inches
• Data: GPRS, 3G, WLAN/WiFi, EDGE, WCDMA
• Connectivity: Bluetooth (v2.0 with A2DP), USB (v2.0)
• Web Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML(Opera 8.0), RSS reader
• Music: Walkman® player, Supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, E-AAC+, WAV and m4a
• Camera: 3.2-megapixel, Digital zoom 3x
• Messaging: SMS, EMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
• Tones: Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3, AAC, Vibration
• Software Features: Symbian OS v9.1, UIQ 3.0
• Other Features: Java MIDP 2.0, FM radio with RDS , Walkman Touch player, TrackID music recognition, T9, Image viewer, Picture/document editor, Organiser, Voice memo, Built-in handsfree
• Battery: Standard battery, Li-Po 900 mAh (BST-33), 9 Hours talk time, 370 h Stand-by time

PROS: Massive memory at 8 gigabytes. Elegant, compact design. Great multimedia player.

CONS: Plastic casing. Low display and video resolution.

Overall: A good all around handset with all the nifty features the modern consumer looks for in a phone.

The Internet literally at the palm of your hands! This new offering from Sony Ericsson, the K660, is designed to be a fully functional mobile Web browser that would make Internet surfing as convenient and simple as browsing on your personal computer. In today's web based fast paced lifestyle where everyone is constantly on the go and depend on web based applications for their daily schedules and routines, the K660 provides a viable option as a mobile Web browser. The K660 which was developed using Sony Ericsson's Java Platform 8 (JP-8) and supports Mobile Services Architecture (MSA) JSR 248, touted as the next step to the Java umbrella standard offers the user HDSPA mobile broadband connection experience. HDSPA offers download speeds that are four folds faster than any regular 3G connection.

Sony Ericsson is targeting the Web Generation with the K660 by providing then a rich, satisfying and user friendly web browsing experience. With the growing number of people arranging their lives around web based services, the development of the K660 is truly a step in the right direction of making the mobile phone a more functional and responsive tool for those who manage their lifestyle and social networks over the Internet. The compact 3G, HSDPA enabled K660 which comes in a web optimized candybar from measures 104mm x 47mm x 15mm and weighs in at 95 grams. This feature packed mobile web browser phone is available in two eye catching colors, wine on black and lime on white, which are both modern and trendy.

Some of the powerful and innovative features that come with the Sony Ericsson K660 are its support for UMTS, HSDPA 2100, GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900 and EDGE network band frequencies. 3G and EDGE with HSDPA allows for faster data transfer which will give the user an almost no waiting time broadband-like surfing experience. A technological innovation is the incorporation of shortcut keys that illuminate when the user is actively surfing the Internet, the introduction of the magnetic mouse pointer, where the navigation keys of the mobile phone acts as a personal computer mouse which allows the user to navigate the Internet and indicate which parts of the web page can be clicked or where input of text is allowed, it also has the functionality of zooming in on images or text, when the mobile phone is in web mode and desktop tickers that gives the user regular updates from his favorite Internet sites.

Landscape browsing, picture and video blogging, IM client, pan and zoom, and support for mobile e-mail are other very important features found on the K660 which can be activated by the user mostly just by the touch of a button just like you are surfing the Internet in front of your personal computer. Mobile Internet browsing experience will never be the same with the Bookmark function, single button interface that takes you to your Home Page and a shortcut that allows you to enter a valid Internet address all purposely designed to guide the user and make Internet access faster.

The landscape browsing function is very helpful in browsing some web sites especially when accessing one of the special features included in the Sony Ericsson K660, Google Maps for Mobile. This handy web application helps you to navigate different places with your K660 by having access to interactive maps that you can zoom out or zoom in or even allows you to pan in whichever direction or orientation you please. The instant access to maps allows you to enter your actual location and where is your destination and from this information, it will send you a point-to-point direction how to get there. The Google Maps for Mobile comes pre-installed with the Sony Ericsson K660. The K660 utilizes the NetFront web browser which gives users added functionality and easier navigation by providing instant access to RSS feeds and other updates without the need of opening the web browser.

The browsing experience is further enhanced with the incorporation of a two inch QVGA screen that can display 262k colors. Of course an expected component of the Sony Ericsson K660 is the inclusion of a digital camera. The compact frame of the K660 accommodates a 2 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom and video recording capabilities. It also incorporates a second camera on the front panel designed for making video calls. And because the K660 is designed a quick access mobile Internet browser phone, after capturing those pictures and videos of your unforgettable adventures, you can immediately upload them to your blogsite, favorite social networks or send them directly to your family and friends ensuring that they are constantly updated of your activities. Despite being bombarded with a number of web applications and Internet friendly features, the Sony Ericsson K660 can also bring satisfaction to the regular mobile phone user.

The K660 also boasts of an integrated FM Radio tuner, sound recorder, video streaming capabilities, Stereo Bluetooth that supports A2DP and Speakerphone. The k660 has an internal memory size of 32Mb and comes outfitted with a memory slot that can accommodate a Sony Memory Stick Micro format memory card with a maximum capacity of 4 GB. The user can have additional enjoyment for his music with the packaged HPM-62 stereo headset. The 256Mb Memory Stick Micro included in the sales package of the Sony Ericsson K660 allows the user to save all his favorite music and picture files. The user has the option to purchase the Sony Ericsson Bluetooth Headset HBH-PV703 which automatically connects to the K600 by auto-pairing for that wireless satisfaction.

Summary of Sony Ericsson K660 Features

• Network: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 + HSDPA
• Dimensions: 104mm x 47mm x 15mm, 95g (with battery in compartment)
• Display Type: 2-inch TFT 240 x 320 px, 262k colors
• Memory: 32Mb (internal), Expandable 256Mb M2 (included), 4Gb (Expandable limit)
• Camera: 2MP 1600 x 1200 px, Video, Secondary CIF 640 x 480 px for Video calls
• Ringtones: Polyphonic, MP3, Vibrate
• Connectivity: GPRS, 3G, Modem, Bluetooth, USB, WAP, Browser, E-mail
• Other Features: SMS, MMS, Java games and applications, Clock, Alarm, T9, FM Radio, Voice Memo, Calculator
• Battery: Li-Po (9 hours talk time, 330 hours standby)

PROS: The Sony Ericsson K660 lives up to its hype as the mobile Internet browser phone by packing it with useful and functional web based applications and integrating in the design useful shortcuts to make mobile web browsing easier and more enjoyable. Innovations such as magnetic mouse pointer, pan and zoom, Google maps, landscape browsing, lightning fast Internet connection speeds, illuminated and dedicated shortcut keys all make the K660 a very desirable phone for the Web Generation.

CONS: Although the K660 has succeeded in incorporating innovations in its designed that will give the user a satisfying and gratifying mobile web browsing experience, there are some minor additions that can increase its market value. Sony Ericsson could have included GPS capability to work in combination with Google maps. Also the 2MP camera does not have an autofocus function which could be very useful for mobile users. And lastly, they could have considered that the packaged 256Mb M2 memory stick is simply too small for such a power packed mobile phone.

Overall: The Sony Ericsson K-series of mobile phones is developed primarily to address the growing Web Generation market whose lives evolve primarily on the Internet and web based applications. The K660 is a very welcome development and addition to the K-series family especially with the inclusion of innovative designs and features. The K660 although geared for the more web savvy market can also be a very useful mobile device for the average user. With the classy, modern and fashionable look combined with its innovative features, the K600 will surely turn a lot of heads on the mobile phone market.

Don't touch me! Sounds surprising? With continuous research and development, Sony Ericsson continues to improve and push its W-series walkman phones in the market with the introduction of the W380. For the first time in the walkman phone family, the Gesture Control feature will make its debut. The Gesture Control is a motion detector that gives the user the powerful functionality of snoozing the alarm or muting your mobile phone just with the wave of a hand giving the truly "hands free" experience. Aside from this new innovation brought to the market by the W380, Sony Ericsson is also presenting the W380 in a clamshell form factor with two available colors; Magnetic Gray and Electric Purple.

Another hip feature of the W380 is the way the hidden display lights up when you tune in to the radio or when you receive a call. The Sony Ericsson W380 may seem subtle and dull when looked at from the outside but you will be surprised how it comes to life when you receive a phone call or when playing music. The W380 can literally dance to the beat with the phone's different lighting effects that can be assigned to callers or can match the tempo of your music. After all, the W380 is a walkman mobile phone and the W-series from Sony Ericsson has the reputation of providing its users with exceptional multimedia functionalities.

Music controls, which have become a standard with the walkman mobile phone family, for the W380, are located on the outer part near the external screen. Sony Ericsson presents the W380 in three different variants; the W380c which supports GSM900, GSM1800 and GSM1900 is for use in China; the W380a which can accommodate network frequencies of GSM850, GSM1800 and GSM1900 is available in North America, while the W380i which can be used in other parts of the World supports frequencies of GSM900, GSM1800 and GSM1900 which assures users around the World that they can enjoy the different features of the Sony Ericsson W380 wherever they are.

Aside from the differences in supported network frequencies, all variants of the W380 have similar features. The slick and compact body of the W380 which measures 92mm x 49mm x 16mm and weighs only 100 grams incorporates a 1.3 megapixel camera that can produce pictures with 1280 x 1024 pixels resolution, can also record video, which the user can view on the internal display screen that measures 1.9 inches with a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels and can display 256k colors. The OLED external screen which has a resolution of 36 x 128 pixels can display information of the caller and information on the music track that is currently playing. The clamshell designed W380 also features a web browser, e-mail client, RSS reader and other valuable essentials from the Sony Ericsson W-series family. All W380 variants have EDGE and GPRS connectivity capability.

The Sony Ericsson W380 is geared more toward the younger, fashion aware music lover market with its combination of mobile communication expertise and stunning musical effects. The W380 can reproduce songs in MP3 audio format and also possesses a built-in FM Radio Tuner. An assortment of Sony Ericsson standard applications are also present with the W380 like the TrackID technology which has a feature that allows the user to get instant information like singer or album name about a song that he does not recognize. According to figures from Sony Ericsson, TrackID is one of their more popular applications with the feature being activated by someone around the World every second. Once the music is identified by the user, it can be loaded into his mobile phone with just a few clicks with the application PlayNow. PlayNow also provides the W380 with the feature to allow the user to download mobile games, wallpapers, ringtones and entire songs.

Another useful software application bundled with the Sony Ericsson W380 walkman mobile phone is the Media Manager PC which allows the user to point, click and drag music, videos and photos from your personal computer to the mobile phone. This software application allows the user to transfer files with ease and convenience with music files being automatically converted by the software to the correct format. The W380's external music controls gives the user the power to play, skip forward, skip backward or pause the music easily with its one touch buttons.

The 14Mb internal memory of the W380 is augmented by the expandable memory slot which can accommodate a Sony Memory Stick Micro format. The sale package of the W380 has a 512Mb M2 format memory stick included to allow the user to store up to 271 of his favorite songs. The W380 also has support for Stereo Bluetooth with A2DP and USB 2.0 which allows connection to the personal computer or other devices which support these platforms. To enhance the enjoyment of the mobile phone's music features, the user can opt to purchase a Stereo Portable Headset HPM-83 or a Stereo Bluetooth Headset HBH-DS200 which can be paired with the W380.

Summary of Sony Ericsson W380 Features

• Network: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (tri-band depending on your region)
• Dimension: 92mm x 49mm x 16mm, 100g
• Display Type: 1.9 inch TFT, 256k colors, 176 x 220 px, External OLED 128 x 36 px (mono display)
• Ringtones: Polyphonic, MP3, AAC
• Memory: 14Mb internal, Expansion (M2) 512Mb card included
• Connectivity: GPRS, HSCSD, EDGE, USB, Bluetooth
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, EMS, IM, E-mail
• Camera: 1.3 megapixel, 1280 x 1024 px, Video
• Other Features: Web browser, Games, Gesture Control, Java MIDP 2.0, Walkman player, TrackID, FM radio, T9, Picture editor, Image viewer, Handsfree, Voice memo, Organizer
• Battery: Standard Li-Ion, up to 7 hours (talktime), up to 300 hours (standby)

PROS: The W380 is a handy Walkman phone that comes with unique technological innovations like the Gesture Control. It also lives up to the reputation of the W-series family as an entertaining multimedia tool that everyone can enjoy.

CONS: Having a relatively low number in its model gives the impression that it is a lower end mobile phone for the Walkman mobile phone family. Except for the Gesture Control feature, almost everything is basic for the W-series. The W380 could have been given a boost by putting in a 2 megapixel or higher camera and higher resolution for the internal display.

Overall: The Sony Ericsson W380 Walkman mobile phone carries on the tradition of its predecessors by offering stylish and power packed multimedia features that can send the hearts of music lovers pounding. The introduction of unique features adds to the appeal of the W380. The W380 is undoubtedly for the younger generation of music lovers that look for hip features like the Gesture Control incorporated into their musical devices.