Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson C903 review: Slider-shot


Inspired by the Sony T-series point-and-shoot digcams with an elegant lens cover, the Sony Ericsson C903 is a compact and attractive cameraphone. The C903 is packed with features you'd expect of a high-end phone and it behaves like one as well. A GPS-enabled 5 MP slider with a nice large display, nifty feature-phone interface and friendly size is a welcome addition to the company portfolio. And yes, we think the Glamour Red version will be a favorite with the ladies.
The C903 official announcement served the humble purpose of warming the crowd up for the Sony Ericsson deployment at this year's MWC. Obviously no match for the Idou and Hikaru, the C903 simply completes the Cyber-shot lineup of the house featuring some welcome upgrades over the C902 like screen size and GPS. There's a distinctive design highlight too and the Sony T-series digicam back styling may as well be a strong selling point.
Sony Ericsson C903 Lacquer Black and Glamour Red
Key features:
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and dual-band HSDPA/ tri-band HSDPA in US version
5 MP AF camera with dual LED flash, geo-tagging, face and smile detection, active lens cover
Built-in GPS with A-GPS support, Wayfinder Navigator software, geotagging
Dedicated camera mode switch and gallery keys
Scratch resistant 2.4" 256K-color TFT display
Backlit D-pad shortcuts in camera mode
Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate
Bluetooth (with A2DP), USB v2.0
FM radio with RDS and enhanced TrackID, YouTube client
Threaded conversations in messaging
Smart dialing
Main disadvantages:
Video recording limited to QVGA resolution at 15fps
M2 card slot under the battery cover
Camera key has almost no feedback at full press
The glossy surface is a fingerprint nightmare
No cover for the USB port
No office document viewer
Sony Ericsson C903 has its candybar counterpart in the face of the C901. Presented in a joint launch last month, the two handsets are trying to meet a diverse mix of cameraphone demand in the higher-midrange.
Form factor aside, the major differences boil down to GPS and the camera flash solution. We can't help but note that xenon could've been more at home in the T-series-inspired C903. But no sir, Sony Ericsson C903 is GPS-enabled instead while the more conservative C901 bar flaunts the better camera flash.
The lengthy spec sheet of the C903 only omits Wi-Fi support, while everything else is on board: GPS with Wayfinder 7 software, 5 megapixel AF camera with dedicated setup keys, a large 2.4" display and accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate.
Sony Ericsson C903 at ours
Now then, we're all set for a closer look at the C903, so buckle up and hit the jump.

Renoir

LG KC910i Renoir

General	2G Network	GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 900 / 2100
	Announced	2009, February
	Status	Coming soon

Size	Dimensions	107.8 x 55.9 x 14 mm
	Weight	114 g

Display	Type	TFT resistive touchscreen, 256K colors
	Size	240 x 400 pixels, 3.0 inches
		- Flash UI - Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate - Downloadable wallpapers

Sound	Alert	Vibration; Downloadable Polyphonic(64), MP3 ringtones, composer
	Speakerphone	Yes

Memory	Phonebook	Yes, Photocall
	Call records	40 dialed, 40 received, 40 missed calls
	Internal	1 GB/2 GB
	Card slot	microSD (TransFlash), up to 16GB (verified)

Data	GPRS	Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
	HSCSD	No
	EDGE	Yes
	3G	HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
	Bluetooth	Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
	Infrared port	No
	USB	Yes, v2.0

Camera	Primary	8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, Schneider-Kreuznach optics, auto/manual focus, xenon flash
	Features	Geo-tagging, face, smile and blink detection, touch focus, image stabilization
	Video	Yes, VGA 30fps, QVGA@120fps
	Secondary	VGA videocall camera

Features	Messaging	SMS, EMS, MMS, Email, Push Email
	Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
	Radio	FM radio
	Games	Yes
	Colors	Black
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support
	Java	Yes, MIDP 2.0
		- MP3/MPEG4/AAC/DivX/Xvid player - Organizer - Document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF) - TV-out - Voice memo - Built-in handsfree - T9

Battery		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1000 mAh
	Stand-by	Up to 264 h
	Talk time	Up to 3 h

touch

Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH preview: First look

Known as Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH or simply Tocco Ultra depending on the market, the latest touch phone by Samsung comes in the slider form factor. Beside the killer looks and slim profile of only 12.7mm, the specs sheet of the Samsung S8300 continues with a 2.8" capacitive OLED touchscreen, 8 megapixel camera and a GPS-receiver with Route 66 navigation.

Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH

Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH a.k.a. Tocco Ultra at a glance:

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/2100 MHz, GPRS/EDGE class 10, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
• Form factor: Classy touchscreen slider with an alphanumeric keypad
• Dimensions: 110 x 51.5 x 12.7 mm
• Display: 2.8-inch 16M color OLED touchscreen, WQVGA resolution (400 x 240), tempered glass for scratch resistance
• Memory: 80MB integrated memory, hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB), 2GB card supplied
• OS: Proprietary Samsung Touch UI, latest version of TouchWiz UI (1.5)
• Camera: 8 megapixel auto focus camera with dual PowerLED flash, Face detection, Smile Shot, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) and VGA video@30 fps
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS and optional Samsung Mobile Navigator by Route66
• Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate, Proximity sensor for auto screen turn-off, Anti-scratch screen surface, FM radio with RDS, DivX/XviD video support
• Battery: 880 mAh battery

It's been exactly one year since the first time one of the big-five phone manufacturers announced a fully touch-operated slider. The Samsung S8300 takes over from where the LG KF700 left off and attempts a huge leap forward.

While the LG KF700 wasn't that popular, the Samsung S8300 seems ready to go that extra length. It is the key product for Samsung for the first half of this year and we are almost as curious as you are to see if it appeals to the phone-buying public.

Samsung S8300 all over

The Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH looks quite nice in the flesh and we have to admit that we are rather fond of the metallic frame around the display.

Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH next to LG KC910 Renoir and Samsung i8510 INNOV8

Join us on the next page for a detailed check of the device's ergonomics.

Its Magic

HTC Magic coming to Vodafone as soon as this April

Tags: HTC, Android, Touch UI, Vodafone

It's known under many names - HTC Sapphire, HTC Magic, even the G2. Android's second coming is going to be in April when the HTC Magic will be available through Vodafone.

The official announcement of the HTC Magic was only this February and it's already set to launch in April.

There have been a lot of rumors floating around the Internet regarding a successor to the T-Mobile G1 - and a lot of them turned out to be false. There are also photos of a T-Mobile branded Magic, though there's nothing official just yet. Chances are that it will be sold in the US as the T-Mobile G2, but Vodafone will retain exclusivity over the Android device on the Old Continent.

HTC Magic

The HTC Magic is very similar to the HTC Dream, the most obvious difference being the lack of hardware keyboard. This means less weight - the HTC Magic has shed a good 40 grams, and it's thinner too. Other, less obvious but welcome changes, are the improved battery life (just over two hours of talk time more), twice the ROM (it's now 512 MB) and an extra HSDPA band (900 in addition to 2100).

The pricing of the new Vodafone HTC Magic is not yet announced but we won't have to wait too long to find that out. While you wait, you can check our overview of what HTC presented at the 2009 MWC, complete with live photos.

Cyber playing

Sony Ericsson W995 review: Ready, set, play

Convergence is the buzzword and the Cyber-shot Walkman affair-turned-marriage is busy producing offspring. And hey, the young Sony Ericsson W995 sure makes the first-born W902 look like a helpless orphan.

Easily the best equipped feature phone of the house, Sony Ericsson W995, still more popular as Hikaru, packs in all there is to find at the top of the company portfolio. The full set of connectivity options, the biggest screen on a Sony Ericsson feature phone to date, GPS, Wi-Fi and the great user interface make a sweet enough package on their own.

But in the case of W995 they're just the perfect background for the unprecedented blend of music and imaging. The Cyber-shot line is graciously lending its 8 megapixel triumph, while the music dowry includes the latest Walkman 4.0 player, with all the bare Walkman necessities such as Shake control and SensMe. And there's more to make it even sweeter. We called it a marriage and Sony Ericsson have taken due care of the wedding presents. We don't know what else to call the kickstand and the on-board 3.5 mm audio jack.

So Sony Ericsson W995 has it all, doesn't it? Now let's see if it gives it all.

Sony Ericsson W995 official photos

Key Features:

• Brushed metal body parts
• Quad-band GSM, dual-band HSDPA
• 2.6" 256K-color TFT display of QVGA resolution
• 8.1 megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging, face detection
• WQVGA video recording at 30fps
• Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality
• Wi-Fi with DLNA support
• Bluetooth (with A2DP) and USB v2.0
• Accelerometer sensor
• 118MB of internal memory and M2 memory expansion (8GB card included)
• Stereo speakers
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Kickstand
• Walkman 4.0 music player with Shake control and SensMe
• FM radio with RDS
• Multi-tasking support
• Smart dialing
• Comfortable keypad, nice sliding mechanism

Main disadvantages:

• Video recording limited to WQVGA
• No lens protection
• No DivX/XviD video support (though it's touted as a video-centric phone)
• Kickstand construction could've been more reliable
• No office document viewer

Sony Ericsson W995 at ours

Since the phone is expected to hit the market by Q2 2009 (which is just around the corner) and Sony Ericsson didn't mention any price, we can only guess how much it will sell for. It's fair to expect a price tag around the same as the similarly equipped Nokia N86 8MP, which will start shipping at the same time at an estimated 375 euro (before taxes and subsidies).

As we said, the Nokia N86 8MP offers almost the same features. Almost. The camera is 8.1-megapixel and sports autofocus, but it also comes with Carl Zeiss optics, dual-LED flash (W995 has a single-LED) and the exciting wide-angle lens and variable aperture.

The N86's screen is also 2.6" but it's based on AMOLED technology (not TFT) and shines with 16M colors (not just 256K). Both devices have kickstands but the one on the N86 seems more reliable based on what we saw at the MWC.

And last but not least, let's not forget that the N86 8MP is a Symbian smartphone with all the possibilities for expansion this entails. It's in the best interests of the W995 that we don't extend this comparison any further!

Nokia N86 8MP

Another competitor of the SE W995 is the smart Samsung i8510 INNOV8, which packs all the Sony Ericsson W995 does, but adds some extra features on top which are well worth checking out. Follow the link to our in-depth review of the INNOV8.

Samsung i8510 INNOV8

It seems that the Sony Ericsson W995 has some pretty strong competition so the decision about which to choose ain't gonna be easy.

More details on: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_w995-review-329.php