Category: Sony Ericsson

  • Sony Ericsson Vivaz Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the 2010 Sony Ericsson Vivaz review page. The SE Vivaz is one of the brand's first fully touch screen so is something of a star during release.  However there are two versions of the phone the regular Vivaz and the Vivaz Pro! The regular Vivaz can be described as a high end touch screen phone in terms of standard functionality and apes the iPhone in terms of features.  Standouts: the display screen is very good, the camera is HD or high definition but only 720p which is not really full HD but it better than the rest.  Tests by much more reputable websites show that the pictures produced by the camera are close to the average still camera and the video quality is outstanding for a mobile phone.  We do post some pictures in the past but since this is a BLOG now we don't bother. First off, the feel when you get it in your hands is strange.  You expect the Vivaz to have metal accents and have a bit more weight to it.  Of course you get neither, this is a all plastic of good quality and very light mobile phone - for a touch screen. It definitely does not feel like a high-end phone. The buttons on the phone has a nice feel but not the best.  Anyway the weighting is and feel is not the selling point. The selling point is related to the HD decals on the phone! The usual user interface has been redesigned for touch screen use and at first it is different to the usual standard by other brands.  Strangely it uses Symbian OS (aka Nokia) under a heavily customized graphic interface and it does work although takes time to work out which gestures are required at which point. it is hard to tell that it is related to Nokia's S60.  Overall the interface does work well and flashy too but there are lags every so often.  It is just as fast as the iPhone or any other high end touch screen mobile phone currently available.  It does not work as well as the Apple - probably due to the way its kinetic scrolling has been designed. Another standout: there are also a number of data input options on the Vivaz and they include a onscreen Qwerty keypad, regular numeric keypad, stylus input for hand writing recognition.  This is a first we've seen and clearly able to cater to all types of people. A few standardized features will help convince you the the Vivaz will not cost too much in terms of propriety accessories!  For example you get a microSD card and microUSB! As a high end mobile phone it does have all the features you could want!  Voice, video calls, SMS, Email, IM, Facebook, Twitter, MS-Office reader, Youtube, MS Activesync compatible.  The music and video is catered for by an updated Sony music bar! The web browser is based on the standard S60 version so it does work well with FLASH compatibility built in. There are few apps compatible with the phone at the moment so inbuilt applications are very important and in this regard it does have all that you need. Overall it is something different to the iPhone and in many ways the Vivaz is better.  There is a ton of functionality programmed into the phone! The only thing missing is a more expensive feeling case.  So if you want the best camera and video phone available to date then the Vivaz is the one to get. Specifications
    • Sony Ericsson Vivaz
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Dual-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 10.2 Mbits data speed (download) HSUPA 2 Mbits data speed (upload)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L104 x W50 x D15.5 mm Weight 97 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 360 x 640
    • Camera 8MP LED Flash
    • Video Camera 720P(1280x720) pixel main video camera 24FPS
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2 DLNA
    • CPU 720Mhz Separate graphics processor
    • Memory Up to 75MB available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS Accelerometer JAVA Apps Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 1200mAh battery Up to 18 days Standby Up to 13 hours Talk Time
    • Price history From $xxx AUS 2010 (Outright)

  • Sony Ericsson Anio Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Sony Ericsson Anio review/information page.  The SE Anio is marketed as a feature and fashion phone so it has some interesting functionality included.  Again at the airport we gave it a quick test and thought it was pretty decent. For a phone with a large screen and a slider it was surprisingly light and thin.  The quality of materials is pretty good plastic too with hints at former SE design and quality.  The Anio is a touch screen phone although it has a slide out keypad.  As a bonus you also get a desktop stand and a matching bluetooth wireless headset.  The screen resolution is also pretty good too. The user experience is pretty good too, using the latest FLASH based interface, which means some nice screen transitions and animations however it is nothing exceptional.  It is also a relatively quick phone without any significant lags so overall a very good impression.  However the it is also a hybrid touch screen phone where some of the functions can be controlled by the screen but the rest rely on the hardware buttons.  It's all a bit weird like the Samsung's version so needs to be improved. All your communication options are available. SMS, Voice, MMS, Email and MS-Active Sync.  The Anio can do it all and some more thanks to what is getting to be a decent Netfront web browser with RSS capabilities. Once again like most SE phones the Anio is packed with the latest hardware for 2010.  It features 3G, Wi-Fi, DLNA, Web browser with FLASH, A-GPS and a 8Mp camera so all the latest and probably essential features of a mobile phone in the years ahead. You also get a app that allows you to use the phone as a controller for your PS3 which actually works quite well but still no match for a regular controller.  You could probably control other devices through the Anio since it has DLNA but known SE propriety bias it is unlikely to be compatible with the latest equipment - only time will tell. Overall this is something different to the iPhone and if you don't need or want to spend you cash on largely useless apps then this is a perfectly good alternative.  Just don't pay too much for it. Specifications
    • Sony Ericsson Anio
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Dual-band 3G 85-/900/1900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 Mbits data speed (download) HSUPA 2 Mbits data speed (upload)
    • Design Slider
    • L104 x W50 x D15.5 mm Weight 134 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 432 x 240
    • Camera 8MP LED Flash
    • Video Camera 640 x 480 pixel main video camera 24FPS
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2
    • CPU ???Mhz
    • Memory Up to 280MB available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS JAVA Apps Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free BST-43 3.7V 1000mAh Up to 13 days Standby Up to 10 hours Talk Time
    • Price history From $xxx AUS 2010 (Outright)

  • Sony Ericsson Aspen Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Sony Ericsson Aspen review/information page.  The SE Aspen will be released later in 2010 as SE answer to a growing number of Qwerty based mobile phones.  However Sony have also included a touch screen which is a first for us anyway. The Aspen like most new Sony Ericsson mobile phones is packed with the latest hardware for 2010.  It features 3G, Wi-Fi, decent Web browser (WinMobile7), A-GPS and a 3.2Mp camera so all the latest and probably essential features of a mobile phone in the years ahead. Despite all that the most interesting thing about the Aspen is that it will probably run the latest version of Windows Mobile 7 underneath the Experia Panels interface.  So until Windows Mobile 7 is finally released don't expect the Aspen!  Overall looks like a great phone but there are many alternatives to choose from. Specifications
    • Sony Ericsson Aspen
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Dual-band 3G 900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 Mbits data speed (download) HSUPA 2 Mbits data speed (upload)
    • Design Qwerty based
    • L117 x W60 x D12.45 mm Weight 130 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 320 x 240
    • Camera 3.2MP Auto-focus LED Flash
    • Video Camera 640 x 480 pixel main video camera 24FPS
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2
    • CPU ???Mhz
    • Memory Up to 100MB available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS JAVA Apps Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free BST-43 3.7V 1000mAh Up to 25 days Standby Up to 8 hours Talk Time
    • Price history From $xxx AUS 2010 (Outright)

  • Sony Ericsson Yari Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Sony Ericsson Yari review. Welcome to the Sony Ericsson Yari review/information page.  The Yari is another slider phone from SE and we can not understand why you'd pick this one ahead of 'the other' slider the Hazel.  We assume that it was released as a stop gap measure until the Hazel was finally relased!  It seems like a entirely regular mobile phone. We haven't managed to get our hands on a real one yet so this page is 'reserved' for the full review when that happens.  So until then here are our comments. The PR says that it is a gaming centric mobile phone with motion sensitive games and pedometer for walking/running.  Apart from that there does not seem to be any exceptional about the phone.  We reckon a perfectly acceptable mid-range mobile phone but you really need to standout with something more these days.  Perhaps a more attractive design? Specifications
    • Sony Ericsson Yari
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Dual-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 Mbits data speed (download) HSUPA 2 Mbits data speed (upload)
    • Design Candy bar
    • L100 x W48 x D15.7 mm Weight 115 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 5MP Auto-focus LED Flash
    • Video Camera 640 x 480 pixel main video camera 24FPS
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V2
    • CPU ???Mhz
    • Memory Up to 60MB available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS Accelerometer sensor JAVA Apps Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free BST-43 3.7V 1000mAh Up to 18 days Standby Up to 8 hours Talk Time
    • Price history From $XXX AUS 2010 (Outright)

  • Sony Ericsson Hazel Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Sony Ericsson Hazel review/information page.  The SE Hazel is a deceptively fully functional mobile phone.  The Hazel in hindsight is essentially a repackage Elm but in a slider phone format and like its sister phone it boasts a ton of hardware and software features you would actually use. We don't know why its called the Hazel but this naming system is what SE are doing these days with all their phones. We haven't managed to get our hands on a real one yet so this page is 'reserved' for the full review when that happens.  So until then here are our comments. The Hazel is packed with the latest hardware for 2010.  It features 3G, Wi-Fi, Web browser with FLASH, A-GPS and a 5Mp camera so all the latest and probably essential features of a mobile phone in the years ahead.   Front on it looks like a regular chocolate bar phone until you see the side profile and it has a curved back!  Yes it uses real metal and rubberized plastics so should feel good in the hand and use.  Should be a decent mobile when it is released. Specifications
    • Sony Ericsson Hazel
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Dual-band 3G 900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 Mbits data speed (download) HSUPA 2 Mbits data speed (upload)
    • Design Candy bar
    • L102 x W49.5 x D16 mm Weight 120 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 5MP Auto-focus LED Flash
    • Video Camera 640 x 480 pixel main video camera 24FPS
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2
    • CPU ???Mhz
    • Memory Up to 280MB available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS Accelerometer sensor JAVA Apps Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free BST-43 3.7V 1000mAh Up to 18 days Standby Up to 10 hours Talk Time
    • Price history From $xxx AUS 2010 (Outright)

  • Sony Ericsson Jalou Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Sony Ericsson Jalou review/information page. The Jalou is one of the few flip phones made by the company.  The Jalou is not a feature powerhouse but marketed as a design statement for females.  Themes and functions are largely pointless unless you are into horoscopes and step and calorie counting.  Unfortunately most style conscious girls prefer the iPhone despite the high price. The Jalou is a relatively small phone but quite thick.  It is not as stylish as the older Motorola V8 or V9 but it does look and fit into your bag well. As with the latest SE mobile phones we haven't been able to get our hands on a real one yet so this page is 'reserved' for the full review when that happens.  However we don't think we'll do one due to the expected high end price. In mid-2010 the Jalou has finally been released and the surprise is the price tag.  You can buy one for less than $200 in most stores that stock them.  It does look quite good and it something different from the mass of touch screen and candybar models. Specifications
    • Sony Ericsson Jalou
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Single-band 3G 2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 3.6 Mbits data speed (download)
    • Design Clam shell
    • L73 x W45 x D18.3 mm Weight 84 grams
    • Display/s Internal TFT 240 x 320 External Mono 128 x 36
    • Camera 3.2MP LED Flash
    • Video Camera 320 x 240 pixel main video camera 15FPS
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V2
    • CPU ???Mhz
    • Memory Up to 100MB available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features Auto rotate screen JAVA Apps Web Browser Accelerometer Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free BST-43 3.7V 1000mAh Up to 14 days Standby Up to 7 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under$180 AUS mid-2010 (Outright)

  • Sony Ericsson Xperia Pureness Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pureness review/information page.   The SE Pureness is clearly a 'glamour' phone featuring the first transparent display screen!  It only has a mono-chrome scratch resistant screen but the materials and build make this a minimalist and very stylish cell phone. We haven't managed to get our hands on a real one yet so this page is 'reserved' for the full review when that happens.  So until then here are our comments. As a result of the unique screen it is not loaded with features, it doesn't even have a camera but it does have all the latest messaging and communication options.  Of course it would work best for voice, SMS and emails due to the screen.  Mind you with fast internet download and upload capability it would make a flashy internet modem. We genuinely find the Sony Ericsson Pureness appealing because of its unique design.  This is one of those rare phones that show design triumphs over functionality (We also liked the Nokia 7280 for the same reason) Furthermore these days it is common to have see people with at least two phones so would would work really well as the talk and text only phone when you want to impress.  We genuinely hope the price isn't too high. Specifications
    • Sony Ericsson Pureness
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Single-band 3G 2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 Mbits data speed (download) HSUPA 2 Mbits data speed (upload)
    • Design Candy bar
    • L112 x W43 x D13 mm Weight 70 grams
    • Display/s External Mono-TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera None
    • Video Camera None
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V2
    • CPU ???Mhz
    • Memory Up to 2Gig available to user No card slot
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free BST-43 3.7V 1000mAh Up to 18 days Standby Up to 10 hours Talk Time
    • Price history From $xxx AUS 2010 (Outright)

  • Sony Ericsson Elm Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Sony Ericsson Elm review/information page.  The SE Elm is a deceptively fully functional mobile phone.  Designed as an ordinary looking cadndy bar style phone, the Elm boasts a ton of hardware features you would actually use. We do not know why its called the Elm but this naming system is what SE are doing these days with all their phones.  It is one of the company's 'Green Heart' phones which means environmentally materials are used where possible. We haven't managed to get our hands on a real one yet so this page is 'reserved' for the full review when that happens.  So until then here are our comments. The Elm is packed with the latest hardware for 2010.  It features 3G, Wi-Fi, Web browser with FLASH, A-GPS and a 5Mp camera so all the latest and probably essential features of a mobile phone in the years ahead.  It is surprising how much hardware is packed into the phone  since it is quite small and weighs so little.  Front on it looks like a regular chocolate bar phone until you see the side profile and it has a curved back!  Yes it uses real metal and rubberized plastics so should feel good in the hand and use. The user interface is the latest FLASH based menu system and should work easily, reliability and fast. Specifications
    • Sony Ericsson Elm
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Dual-band 3G 900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 Mbits data speed (download) HSUPA 2 Mbits data speed (upload)
    • Design Candy bar
    • L110 x W45 x D14 mm Weight 90 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 5MP Auto-focus LED Flash
    • Video Camera 640 x 480 pixel main video camera 24FPS
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2
    • CPU ???Mhz
    • Memory Up to 280MB available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS JAVA Apps Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free BST-43 3.7V 1000mAh Up to 18 days Standby Up to 10 hours Talk Time
    • Price history From $xxx AUS 2010 (Outright)

  • Sony Ericsson Naite Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Sony Ericsson Naite review. Released late 2009 we think the Naite (C901 replacement?) is probably the cheapest in price and design made by the company.  It is supposedly made from environmentally friendly 'as possible' materials. This was the first SE phone that we noticed their new naming system.  Instead of model numbers we now have names! It also uses the latest FLASH based user interface for SE which is pretty to look at and easy enough for most to use. We only briefly demo'ed the phone at the airport so can only say a few things about the phone.  It is physically quite small but at first looks and feels cheap for a Sony Ericsson! However it is way ahead of the cheapest models by other manufacturers eg ZTE.  The lovely screen and responsiveness help the toy like feel fade into the background but the feeling is still there. (The partial metal rear helps.) In terms of functionality the Naite has it all for voice and messaging.  Being a 3G model helps.  An OK web browser, Sony music system, Youtube compatible and MS Exchange email are probably the most useful.  It is not a multimedia phone although has some capability.  The phone works fast and any lag is actually the graphic animation being performed. Cheap for a Sony Ericsson but definitely not a nasty little mobile phone that is worth a look if the price is right (less than the RRP we got below) and your needs not excessive.  However we can think of better models for 2010 eg. Nokia C5. Specifications
    • Sony Ericsson Naite
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Tri-band 3G 850/1900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 3.6 Mbits data speed (download)
    • Design Candy bar
    • 108 x W47 x D12.6 mm Weight 84 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 2MP
    • Video Camera 144 x 176 pixel main video camera 15FPS 144 x 176 video call 15FPS
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V2 Micro-USB
    • CPU ???Mhz
    • Memory Up to 100MB available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features FM Radio with RDS JAVA Apps Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 Speaker Phone/Hands free 3.5mm AV/headset BST-33 3.7V 950mAh Up to 25 days Standby Up to 4.5 hours Talk Time
    • Price history From $349 AUS 2010 (Outright)