Mobiles Review

Modeled after the Walkman phoneSymbiansmart phone closely resembles the M600i, minus the dual-function keypad of the latter. UIQ operating system, previously available only on the P-series phones such as the P910i and the upcoming P990i. In fact, at first glance, the Walkman series, the W950i follows the W900i closely??“both are 3G phones optimized for music playback. However, that is where the similarities end. Departing from the swivel design, Sony Ericsson has returned to the conventional candy-bar form factor for the W950i. Where its predecessor used the company’s proprietary interface, the W950i chose the

Upside:
What can we say? The color and design of the W950i are such that you will either love it, or hate it. The slim but squarish and purplish-looking phone is definitely smaller than the P-series mobiles and slightly more pocketable than the M600i, despite having a massive 4GB storage capacity while the latter has only 80MB. According to the company’s Web site, the phone uses Windows’ mass storage drivers and can double as a portable hard driveBluetoothNokia N80 and Dopod 577W. but not Wi-Fi, which is currently available in only a few selected handsets like the . As with most 3G phones, the W950i comes with USB, infrared and

Sound reproduction through the speakers is rather good for our prototype sample of the W950i. A dedicated button brings you to the Walkman function and a rocker on the right adjusts volume levels. The jog dial on the left allows for one-handed operation??“a blessing considering the toothpick-like stylus. The W950i can pick up FM radio frequencies, though a wired headset is required as an antenna.

The large 262K-color QVGA (320 x 240-pixel) screen is transflective and very bright, usable even in direct sunlight. The touch screen, a prerequisite for the Symbian UIQ platform, allows the handset to function closer to a full-fledged PDA. We like that the buttons are flushed into the phone keypad, giving it a rather clean yet sleek appearance.

Downside:
Unlike the M600i, there is no memory expansion slot or document editor in the W950i. It may not be a big deal due to its massive storage, but it kills any hope for Sony digital camera users who want to view images directly from the Memory Sticks. One feature the W950i and M600i share is a lack of a built-in camera. It may have been left out to keep the size down, but may be an issue for those who like to take impromptu shots.

Outlook:
With its Symbian UIQ interface and music features, the latest 3G-capable W950i is usable in almost any country with a mobile phone network and perfect for those looking for a serious business handset. Yet it is also suitable for after-hours entertainment. The Walkman is expected to be available in the third quarter of 2006.

De SonyEricsson Z530i wordt gepresenteerd als een clamshell snapshot telefoon. Het geheugen is uit te breiden tot maximaal 1 GB. De meegeleverde camera neemt foto’s met een maximale resolutie van 640 x 480 pixels.

Apparaat & afmetingen
De SonyEricsson Z530i is een multimediatelefoon met een gewicht van 93 gram. De afmetingen van de telefoon zijn 90 x 47 x 24 mm. De spreektijd bedraagt (onder ideale omstandigheden) 540 minuten. De standbytijd bedraagt onder deze omstandigheden 400 uur.

Bel- & datafuncties
De SonyEricsson Z530i ondersteunt GSM 900SMSPOP3 email ondersteuning kan je ook gewoon je eigen POP3 emails lezen. Trilalarm en polyfone beltonen behoren uiteraard tot de standaarduitrusting.) als multimedia (MMS) berichtjes verstuurd en ontvangen worden. Daarnaast heeft de Z530i een WAP browser. Dankzij de , 1800 en 1900 MHz netwerken. Met de Z530i kan je mobiel internetten dankzij de GPRS ondersteuning. De snelheid is vergelijkbaar met een internet over de vaste telefoon. Met de SonyEricsson Z530i kunnen zowel tekst (

Geheugen en connectivity
De SonyEricsson Z530i heeft 28 MB intern geheugen (Flash). Er is in totaal 1 slot voor extern Memory StickBluetooth en IRDA (infrarood). Micro geheugen beschikbaar. Je kan je data door middel van USB 2.0 transferen van en naar je PC. heeft verder nog

Multimedia
Met de SonyEricsson Z530i kan je zowel audio (MP3 en AAC) als video (3GP) bestanden mobiel luisteren en bekijken. De Z530i is ook voorzien van een voicerecorder. Een ingebouwde FM radio ontbreekt echter. De SonyEricsson Z530i heeft verder een ingebouwde camera. De maximale resolutie van deze camera bedraagt 640 x 480 pixels (0.30 megapixel). Deze camera heeft geen optische zoomfunctie.

Scherm & bediening
De bediening van de telefoon vindt plaats op het apparaat zelf. De SonyEricsson Z530i is uitgerust met twee schermen. Het eerste scherm is een 16 bit UBC kleurenscherm (65536 kleuren). Dit scherm heeft een resolutie van 128 x 160 pixels. Dit scherm heeft een resolutie van 101 x 80 pixels. De SonyEricsson Z530i heeft een door SonyEricsson zelf ontwikkeld besturingssysteem. Het firmware van de telefoon is upgradable. Je kan dus eventueel later nieuwere versies van het besturingssysteem installeren.

Sony Ericsson today unveiled what it claims is the world’s slimmest business UMTS device, the M600i. Measuring just 15mm thick, the new touchscreen-enabled offering is the second handset in the company’s upcoming lineup to feature Symbian OSflash memory card addition to the Memory Stick family. 9.1 and UIQ 3.0 (after the earlier-announced P990i). It is also the first device from the Swedish-Japanese joint venture to support Memory Stick Micro (M2), the new ultra-small

Upside
The key feature of the M600i is clearly its connectivity optionssmart phone is just 15mm thick. While not as thin as the Moto Q which measures 11.5mm, the M600i represents an emerging class of slim smart phone form factor that we have also seen in the upcoming Nokia E61.. Like the upcoming P990i, the new triband candy bar supports UMTS (=3G), Symbian OS 9.1 and UIQ 3.0, in addition to the standard suite of USB, Bluetooth and infrared options. The only difference here is that the M600i is a lot more compact. According to Sony Ericsson, the

In an effort to keep the size of the M600i to a minimum, Sony Ericsson has included a super-tiny Memory Stick64MB cardLCD supports QVGA resolution and can display up to 262K colors. is bundled as part of the standard package. The 2.6-inch touchscreen Micro slot on the device for memory expansion, on top of the in-built 80MB memory. A

Besides multimedia players, push-email and the Opera 8 browser, the M600i comes with whole suite of business applications that include PowerPoint, Word and Excel editors as well as a viewer for PDF files. The slim smart phone also supports VPN clients, audio/video streaming and Java MiDP 2.0.

Downside
We were surprised Sony Ericsson has opted not to include a camera on the M600i. After all, the camera has become a standard feature on most phones these days. However, while some may gripe about the lack of imaging tools, business users working in sensitive industries may find the omission of a camera a welcome move.

Taking a closer look at the keypad, we have our doubts about Sony Ericsson’s dual function buttons. By assigning dual characters on each button, it requires careful pressing of the edge of the key for the desired character in QWERTY mode.

We like Sony Ericsson’s move to adopt the tiny Memory Stick Micro format, which we’d expect to see in other upcoming Sony products. However, as with all new flash formats, we’d expect the new media to come in smaller capacities and at a premium price.

Outlook
One week to 3GSM in Barcelona and Sony Ericsson has already fired its first warning to competitors in the form of the M600i. Expected to be out in the second quarter of 2006, we expect the new smart phone to do well not just for its sleek stylish design, but also for its multiple connectivity options and strong business utilities. Final comments will have to wait till we get the commercial unit for review closer to launch.