Sony Ericsson T715 is another slider which belongs to the middle-price category, aimed for the mass market. The novelty can become prominent, as it has all the prerequisites – curious design, it is available in several colors, simple menu, decent functional. Now let’s consider everything in order.

Design

First of all I’d like to mention that I had the pink device. No, I do not mean that I am the enemy of this color but it somehow annoys me. However this can be accepted and understood by the part of the female audience, and may be someone would like to buy T715 because of its color. Corners of the shell are smoothed; however, this device does not cease to be a neat block. In addition, its size of a credit card allows you to put the phone in almost any pocket. Of course, the phone is not a slim one; we can’t call it thick, neither, so it can be called medium.
Now let’s have a look at exterior – the back panel is made of metal. It is removed easily. On the back lid is situated the eye of the camera, LED of the flash, slit of the polyphonic speaker. On the right side there is the camera button and volume control wheel, on the left side – the universal connector.
It has already become a tradition to decorate the backside slider with funny patterns. Sony Ericsson T715 is not an exception.

Display and Keyboard

Sony Ericsson T715 is equipped with a 2.2-inch display with 260 thousand colors. The screen itself behaves well, even in the sun. Though it doesn’t have big viewing angles, but they are enough. You can even e-book or play games.
Above the screen there is almost an invisible light sensor, which is responsible for automatic adjustment of backlighting. By the way, this can be done manually in the old-fashioned way.
Themes of the menu are very beautiful; a couple of them seemed to be drawn especially for girls.

Keys are stylish. Yes, don’t get surprised they are really stylish. However glamorous central navigation button hides a drawback. It is arranged so that when you press it in left or right direction you can easily press the green or red receiver. In addition, the navigation button is not very convenient. In order to stop arguing I will say that I did not like the control elements, but I can assure you that I met much worse ones.
Plastic keyboard is more or less adequate. Initially, small distance between vertical buttons strains a little, but if you press them with pads of your fingers, then you can avoid pressing unnecessary buttons. Due to uniform lighting all designations are clearly visible in the dark.

Menu and Functions

The menu has not changed, however, I did not expect to see anything new. So everything is done like in old models.
One of the most useful functions is “Organizer”. Here we see a convenient calendar; there is also a simple reminder, as well as editor of notes. Here is a file manager, timer, and stopwatch. And finally it is equipped with a flashlight. When you have to go downstairs from the 5th floor in pitch darkness, then you will understand why it is sometimes needed.
Alarm clock is a very useful thing, that’s why it is included in the main menu. Here are five independent pieces.
From useful things we should also mention Google Maps.

Entertainment

Music player is completely inherited from its predecessors. I mean both the interface and opportunities of musical applications. We can not say something special about the sound quality – the volume is sufficient for the underground, rock music sounds a bit synthetic, tint. However, with good headphones – Sony, Philips, etc., you can listen to music though it isn’t Nokia N96.
With the admission of FM-stations there is no problem in the city limits. It supports RDS, respectively, the names of stations and information is displayed on the screen.
To the usual arcade and Sudoku (games of T715), is added chess simulator Kasparov Chess.

Camera

Those who need a 5 MP camera should choose another phone, as T715 can take pictures with a maximum resolution of 3.2 MP, plus it does not have autofocus. The functional reserve of the camera is small. For example, there are several filters, presets for white balance, night mode, and the ability to attach geo notes on the photo. There isn’t any GPS-receiver in the novelty, so the location is determined by BS.

Conclusion

Sony Ericsson E715 is a typical representative of a mid-priced device segment. And it wouldn’t be appreciated, if not pleasant shape, and in our case, a cool color. It has too many competitors, among them this novelty can easily get lost.

Touch phones literally are flooding the market of mobile phones, even if we consider only products of Samsung. Thus, following the models of S5230 and S5600 an interesting device appeared – Samsung S8000 Jet. The model is very reactive. It is a smartphone with a branded phone firmware, designed to satisfy almost any user.
Many fans of Samsung brand have grown accustomed to touch screen phones with large display and three buttons beneath it. Someone likes such phones, somebody appreciates their unique design.
When the model has not been brought to the market yet, it was called Cubic in honor of interesting three-dimensional cube on the display. However, the official name of the new item is Jet, because Samsung S8000 is installed inside the 800-MHz processor.

Appearance

This phone is similar to Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. That is quite normal for the size and appearance of the touch screen phone. Let’s look at the back cover and see that it is glossy, respectively – slippery. Yes, it is made of decorative strips (looks nice), but the fingerprints quickly bring all the beauty away. The cover can be easily removed, as there is a projection.
The front panel bears only three buttons, camera for videocalls and sensor approximation.

Screen

Excellent display is one of the main features of this model. Here is an AMOLED-display with a resolution of 480 x 800 and the palette of 16 million colors. The display is one of the best on the market: large viewing angles, vivid, saturated colors, high definition. In a sunny day the information is read well, images and pictures can be seen without problems.
In response to a touch the device slightly vibrates, and, of course, the strength of vibration can be adjusted by a 5-point scale.
The screen is interesting because it reacts as a stylus. A light touch is enough to manage the screen; you do not need to push it. It is also comfortable to type the text with a pen
Regarding to the number dialing, you can see that the virtual keyboard is very huge; you can dial the number on the fly.

Menu

In fact, Samsung S8000 Jet has two disadvantages – the so-called standard and cube presented on the screen in 3D and calling with a single button. Each facet is responsible for a multimedia application or media. And as you add content to the phone (pictures, videos, music, album covers), it automatically appears on the facets. Accordingly, when clicking on an album cover the song title will appear, one more click – will launch the player.
Cube spins funny, smooth, graphics are not hindered. Under the cube there are six icons for launching applications.
By the way, the standard menu is already familiar from the previous models S5230 and S5600. Here it, of course, is redesigned, but the general features are common. As usual, the main screen can be “occupied” with widgets. You can also download more widgets from Samsung’s official web-site.
You can scroll the desktop, as in model S5230, at each of the screens may be their own widgets. This is convenient. The side bar widget is hidden in the tray after 10 seconds of inactivity. It is also convenient. At the bottom of the screen constantly displays a bar for calling the virtual keyboard, a directory, the service of SMS-messages, and the menu. Again – nice.
Arrangement of the menu is of high-quality, icons are well traced, and their color palette is chosen with the taste. As we already know the information is well readable in any light.
It’s already traditional for Samsung devices; the profiles are made by a human that is beautiful and convincing.
For creative work the simple image editor is perfect. You can choose the color, the thickness of the line, the tool, choose a background color.
Phone can access the network through GPRS or using Wi-Fi.

Keyboard and Directory

Virtual keyboard, as we know – comes with one click on the button. When you hold the phone vertically, you can see a normal telephone mode when you hold the phone in the horizontal position, it automatically overturns and becomes a QWERTY-layout. There is a button “space”, on which, along with the typical signs, is written – “space”.
In the phone book is shown a list of contacts – names on the left, icons on the right (to send SMS or call a friend), as well as a slider to scroll the list.
One contact has a lot of contact fields, and each subscriber can have his/her own type of vibration, and the date of his/her birth. You can select the memory (phone or SIM-card), in which will be recorded the information.
And someone will like the function “Photocontacts”, where you just need to click on an image and make the call.

Music

The phone has a 3.5-mm standard input, and hence to the S8000 is easy to connect your headphones.
The volume is high; you can listen to music on a noisy street or in subways. Ten preset equalizers are good, but it is very inconvenient you cannot create your settings. By one click you can turn on / off mode 5.1 Surround.
There is a standard distribution of content, when you enter the folder “albums”, the device displays the album covers.
If you are in the playback mode, turn the phone, it will start showing the album cover.
Radio is quite normal for Samsung touch phones. You can record the MP3-files, and start the function of guessing music. Like a music player, radio works in the background mode.
The maximum time of recording of the Dictaphone is one hour, the minimum – one minute. The recording quality is satisfactory.
There are 10 pieces of alarm, with the possibility to adjust the response and selecting the type of alert. Do not forget to activate the mode “Auto power”, disabling the phone at night. Otherwise, the alarm will not work.
The navigation is represented by Google Maps and Java Navifon, which after three months working, requires money. To pay or not, it is the private matter of each user.

Camera

The camera with a resolution of 5 MP and autofocus with a couple of LEDs and a flash – is not uncommon.
The interface of the applications is horizontal, all the icons are large, it’s easy to work with them, and to work with the camera is also convenient.
Thirteen scenes of shooting are enough for most users, but for fans of technological innovations there is a feature definition of the face, coupled with the recognition of a smile and wink.

Without turning the camera off, you can get in a photo album, with one-click, and there you can zoom the picture which is very simple – with a touch on the screen, followed by retention. The function is very funny, and works well. Of course, you can enter the gallery from the main menu. Here you can find sorting pictures by date, by color (we have met such function in S8300), by file name.
You can evaluate the quality of images yourself. Please note that we had a non-profit model, the camera in it can be a little worse than in the releasing device.

Conclusions

Samsung S8000 Jet left a pleasant impression. We have been testing a non-profit model, but it was smart in terms of work. In fact, it’s easy to work with a touch screen, but only after a 3-4-day of practice.
In addition, the price is expensive, of course, and those who want to buy a device with a touch screen can choose something less expensive, for example, Nokia 5800, without penetrating into the fact that these are different products.

Appearance
Samsung i8510 INNOV8 is designed, of course, for men. You can paint it pink or red, but it will remain a toy for big boys. The big, hard slider with a decent thickness will protrude from any pocket except, of course, a winter jacket. But now the season is not suitable for such a warm clothing.
The upper end has a lug for the strap, but it is unlikely that someone will want to hang this device on his neck because of its massive weight. Samsung i8510 INNOV8 fully occupies the palm and lies on it like a glove.
Even in the expanded form the unit is comfortable to hold in hand, despite the considerable size of the smart phone.
The tube edges look rich. On the right there are the camera buttons, the mechanical key for selecting shooting modes / log in to gallery, as well as the slot for memory cards. On the left side – the connector for the charger/cable, the 3.5-mm input for the headphones, the sound adjustment button.
On the reverse side we see the most interesting – the volumetric pedestal for the camera lens and the location of the flash gave the impression that we have a camera, not a phone.
It is clear that this is exactly what the developers had in their mind, and they got it. On the side of the lens there is a polyphonic speaker slot, which is quickly stuffed with dust.

The lid covering the battery is made of metal.
Samsung i8510 INNOV8 opens easily, the slider mechanism works fine, taking up the upper half of the shell on halfway. No criticism to the quality of assembly, as well as to the materials used, everything is at the highest level. Interestingly, the tube is successfully composed of various materials – three types of plastic, and this is without mentioning the metal lid and the tracings of the perimeter of the upper lid.
We have long been accustomed to the appearance of Samsung keyboards. And here we have a single plate with symbols that are separated by four horizontal engravings.
It is convenient to dial or type an SMS-message; girls with long fingernails have not expressed any discontent. Key management is not so convenient, but errors are rare. The confirmation button (located in the centre of navigation keys) can perform the role of a sensory touchpad. It can move silently in the menu, as well as in various applications. Moreover, if you get tired of it, it can be turned off. The lighting is bright, and you always see well the symbols on the buttons.

Display
The display with a diagonal of 2.8 inches is frankly good. Its merit is that it is big, bright, does not distort the color of the uploaded images and has an ultra fine grain.
The disadvantage is, perhaps, one – decent image fading in the sun, which, incidentally, is typical for most TFT-displays. When you walk in the street, you have to cover it with your hand, but sometimes it is inconvenient. But the fact that the screen has a little lag was good. After working with the i8510
several days and comparing it with other devices, we came to the conclusion that the screen of Samsung, is one of the best on the market, and you just can not help but like it.
From the perspective of an ordinary user, the menu is perfectly executed, that means – nothing superfluous, but simple, clear and understandable. Yes, and you can see for yourself, how the graphical shell, under which the popular OS S60 is “hidden”, looks. In our sample, there were three themes; in addition, you can change the appearance of the call line, the rapid application in the main menu.

Unfortunately, we could not scroll the names of the items that did not fit into the screen, but the font under the name “Normal” can be described as fairly large.
useful applications are preinstalled in the memory, including a PDF reader, the application QuickOffice, IP-Dialers Fring, the application for Blogging LifeDiary.
Of course, you can set “Yandex-map”, or anything else, the possibilities for installations are large.
The Wi-Fi in this model works without any problems and artful settings. The INNOV8 connected with any access points, in the office, in department stores, at home.
The exception was just the terrible Chinese device ZTE ZXDSL 531V for the network “Stream”, which our phone was unable to pick up.
Surfing on the web with the built-in browser is also not straining for fans of mobile Internet (everything is handy and works as expected), but I, personally, prefer to view pictures and read news from the large screen of PC.

GPS
This is not the first mobile handset from Samsung, with an integrated GPS-receiver; for example, the recently released G810 is also equipped with a GPS-chip. Our model i8510 was not the most sensitive receiver and could not catch the satellites, where the navigators Mio H610, GSmart or the communicator Samsun”deafness” to satellites, particularly in the car or not in a very dense forest.
In an open field (in the open) the “cold” start was 4 minutes, the “hot” start about 1.5 minutes. It is also worth noting the excellent work of the receiver outside the city, where there are no high buildings.
For the purposes of navigation the memory has two preset programs – Route 66 and Google Maps. If the first has no maps of Moscow and the region, the second, as it is known, loads data via GPRS or Wi-Fi (if there is an access point). By the way, you should keep in mind that it literally eats up traffic, because only the scaled maps consume from 170 to 220 KB. This should be remembered, when in roaming, even nationally. Also, do not expect a good drawing of maps if you are away from major cities. For example, I was personally surprised by a non-existent road, and an absence bridge over the Volga, which were present on the map, but otherwise everything is fine.

Camera
A cool camera is the main zest of the model, and even more so because the picture resolution is quite serious – 8 MT. This draws the attention of anyone who takes the smart phone in his hands. Also, many have noticed that, a LED is installed in the model, but not a powerful xenon flash. So this source of light is sometimes not enough, and after using the Motorola ZN5 with Xenon flash, it was necessary to get quickly used to the fact that to shoot in a dark room from a distance of 3 meters is not possible, here the distance is reduced to half a meter. It should be noted that sometimes when shooting with the flash the image is slightly blurred. Summing up a micro-outcome, we should say that the flash will be useful for illumination of any object, for example, when shooting in the shade or in the gloomy weather.
The interface of the photo supplement is an already known form other tubes of Samsung, for example, the model G810, the review of which can be read here. The opportunities and the modes the camera provides can be seen in the screenshots. It should be noted that to work with (manage) the camera is very convenient, because the settings do not have to be “dug” out of the menu, as you need only to click the left context button and you will see windows settings appearing above.
The camera offers a number of presets (scenes), such as the “Sport”, “Indoor”, “Beach”, “Sunset”, etc. You can use them, though they affect the result, but not negatively. They should be tried as an experiment.
It requires 2.5-3 seconds to focus the camera, depending on lighting conditions. Sometimes the unit would not be focused at the first try and we had to press “on” again.
But the most important is the quality of images. They are easier to evaluate with the help of test photos. Personally I was very pleased with the results.

The player / radio
Another important part of the Samsung i8510 is the player. In contrast to the praised Walkman devices from Sony Ericsson, the Korean developers have taken the pains to set in the tube a standard plug for headphones, even though on the left edge (it would be easier on the top). Below you see the appearance of the interface of the device. I think that the design is strict, but with taste.
Also note the presence of 17 preset equalizer settings, including options for 3D-sound. You can choose from three proposed visualizations, of course there is a detailed assortment of music that is standard for all manufacturers of music devices.

The quality of the sound, using good Sony headphones is great! The unit “handles” the full range of frequencies without any problems; the ears do not feel any distortion, noise, and other such things. The sound is brilliant, rich, natural. In the memory of the tube (do not forget about the 8 GB built-in memory and the support of microSD cards), were downloaded well digitalized tracks. Well-known compositions sounded easily, somewhat airy, and frankly, there was no wish to take off the headphones.
The FM-radio has good sensitivity and a decent volume. Up to 50 stations can be stored in the memory with the opportunity to give them names.
Among the innovations is the possibility to record with the radio. Files in MP4 format (why not MP3?) with unchangeable bitrate of 192 Kb/s are stored in the phone memory or on the expansion cards.
The recording quality is good, but it certainly depends on the quality of reception of a particular station.

Outcome
Samsung i8510 INNOV8 is a truly innovative device. The unit has all the necessary functions. Of course, the recommended price of 24 thousand roubles will scare many, but those who want the most advanced smart phone to date, are unlikely to find this amount exaggerated. In technical terms the device is wonderful, it is easy to manage, easy to use every day, one really wants to use it. There is one minus – energy consumers (GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, camera, large display), with not the most intensive work discharge the battery of the tube in one day. But as you know, this problem is usually solved, by something as an additional car charger. In all the rest the INNOV8, without reservation, is a device worthy of your choice.

Like the U800, Samsung i7110 is partly made of metal – the front panel and keyboard, and the lid of the battery compartment. This gives the device a solid and slightly unkempt appearance. The point is that after one-week exploitation the back cover was covered with a web of small scratches and this with careful use.
And with each passing day scratches are multiplied. This contradicts the idea that metal creates the impression of a “reliable and stylish” tube.
The device is made of a soft-touch plastic, which is perfectly compatible with the metal. The quality of the assembly does not cause issues – no cracks, no gaps, the details fit together perfectly. Samsung i7110 leaves the impression of a good- quality, expensive, competitive phone.

On the left lies the end of the volume swing as well as a universal connector, closed with a shifting bolt.
On the right – the memory card slot, the key of quick launch of applications, the camera key. As shown in the picture, the keys are of a decent size, easy to press on the go.
The upper end is the eyelet for the strap. A 3.5 jack for connecting headphones would also be to the point here, but alas, it is missing there, as well as in other parts of the tube.
Above the display are housed the compact thin strip of the speaker and the camera for video phoning.

Keyboard
The keyboard is an inherited legacy from the model U800, except for the modified content buttons and the confirmation key.
The point is that in the novelty a so-called touch-sensitive infrared touchpad is used (optical joystick). By moving the finger on its surface, you can move the cursor to the Internet browser, or go from one menu to another. To confirm your choice you simply need to click on this key.
Frankly, there is no need for a partly touch-management. Indeed, sometimes it even prevents navigation – the finger hits the magic key and the cursor moves involuntarily. However, the sensitivity can be adjusted in a wide range, or the optical joystick can simply be disabled.

The modified contextual keys can be seen in the illustration to the U800.
The difference is obvious. Of course, the i7110 is a smart phone and it simply needs an extra key, but it doesn’t make the matter easier for the owner of this tube.
As a result, it appears that the close-fitting keys increase the chance of accidental clicks, even among experienced users. So, instead of displaying on the screen the list of dialed numbers, the “Menu” button was constantly hit, and instead of getting into contacts the “c” button was often pressed, and a lot more to that effect. After a week of use some skill with those buttons was acquired, but to call them convenient is not possible.
The tactile, 4-position key of management, however, is comfortable you can work with it blindly actually.
The lighting of the milky white color is perfectly visible in any situation – to dial a number or write an SMS in the dark will not be difficult.

Display
The novelty has a display based on OLED-technology, instead of the usual TFT-display.
This is evident from the first seconds of acquaintance – the screen wallpaper is unusually bright, colors are intense and the contrast of the image is high. Frankly speaking, the picture even cuts eyes a little, especially at dusk or in a semi-lighted space. However, we have safeguarded large viewing angles and good resistance to the direct rays of sun – the image almost does not fade, all the icons and text are easily readable. Incidentally, the size of the screen is sufficient for most tasks, such as – the menu, internet, photos, and navigation.

Menu
Large icons or a list, well-distinguishable font (three sizes to choose from), three pre-set posters. In addition, the user is free to choose among the three suggested types of reflection of the so-called standby mode. In its two options a streak of five or six functions for shortcuts appears on the display.
In general, the menu is user-friendly, everything is logical and defaults are normally configured. In addition, let us not forget that additional themes can be downloaded from the Internet to adjust the smart phone to your liking.

Communications
The novelty can be connected to other devices via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or via USB-port.
The speed of file transfer via Bluetooth is 70-75 Kb / s, so via the “blue tooth”, you can transfer music to the i7110 or you can use a BT-headset for listening. That is what we did by connecting a good and inexpensive device – Stereo South Wing SA505.
A few words should be said about the accessory itself. The quality of the manufacture of the accessory is high; the plastic pleases the eye and is not erased after two weeks of use.
Among the merits we would like to mention the sound quality, decent working hours without recharging. Among the shortcomings are – the somewhat ascetic appearance of the management, among which the slider of the power on/off has a particularly poor look. So, with the SA505 the Samsung smart phone worked as expected – connected automatically after the activation, the sound was not interrupted no criticism to the sound quality.
The Wi-Fi is more than workable – it clung to free hot-spots confidently, with the office wireless (with password) local it also worked well, however, it took terribly long to enter the 14-digit password.
When connecting to a PC not only your phone memory is visible (about 65 MB) but also the memory of the expansion card, so it is more convenient to throw over the capacity content by using the cable.

Camera
A 5 IP module is installed in the new model, which already “lighted up” in some models of the tubes from Samsung.
The horizontally oriented graphic interface is friendly, you can see in the screenshots, though.
The features and the functionality of the camera are not bad, they have enough storage for most users.
And again the on-board features are evident on the illustrations.
Among the useful features is the function of determining people, which in most cases works correctly. The mode of “snapshot smiles” is also a treat, but there is no special need for it – the focus of the face is always done correctly, and the smile is a private matter.

Macro shooting is possible from a distance of 3 mm from the object, the camera focuses quickly, and it is rarely wrong in the assessment of distance.

The record of geo-marks (the data is taken from GPS-receiver) will also be useful when afterwards you’ll want to use Google Maps to find where it was shot on the map.
The LED flash is not weak and not powerful, something in between, it cannot be counted on, it just is.
The quality of images is at a decent level, but still far away from ideal.
Below you can see the test photos, and the archive with the photos can be downloaded here.

Music
The MP3-player of this model resembles that of Samsung INNOV8, with the proviso to minor cosmetic changes in the interface.
As in the already mentioned model, the user has a choice of three types of visualization; display of album covers is
supported. 17 audio blanks (EQs), including 3D-sound, are pre-installed, plus you can create your own settings, using eight lanes.
The device plays music well, however, the volume leaves much to be desired, because even with the tested set headphones, the music is not heard in the subway, and the volume is poor in other noisy places.
It is possible not only to play music through the BT-headset, but to broadcast songs on a regular radio through a built-FM-transmitter, only this time will have to disconnect your headphones.
However, you will not hear anything through the external speaker either, because in this mode, it also switches off.
The FM-transmitter has a weak power, and the smart phone actually will have to be put closer to the receiver, otherwise instead of music you will hear only a hiss from the speakers. Therefore, as in the devices of Nokia, the need for such a chip (meaning the transmitter) is reduced to zero.
The radio disappoints with its low sensitivity, because a lot of stations had interferences, which was in a ratio of 14 noises in the 25 found.
In addition to automatic settings, the desired frequency can be entered manually. By the way, the memory of the Samsung is for 50 stations, which is enough even for the over-loaded Moscow broadcasting.
If you liked any song aired on the radio, the song can be saved (recorded) in the memory in the format of MP3. Then, you can listen to it at any time, using the MP3-player.

GPS
Everybody has become little by little accustomed to the fact that many phones have a GPS-navigation. So in the i7110 too there is a built-in receiver and pre-set navigation software Route66 from the company Navteq. The program is well known form Nokia and Samsung devices, and the fact that it requires payment is probably known to many as well.
As an alternative there is the free Google Maps, which, though, consumes a lot of traffic for downloading maps and ranging. The cold start of the receiver was 4 minutes, while the «hot» one took 20-30 seconds; at the exit from a tunnel the satellites were found in some 10-15 seconds. The receiver sensitivity is the same as in the communicator Samsung WiTu, i.e., to speak clearly – it was good. On the open ground you can see 8-10 satellites, and by the window at the 7th floor, in case of a clear horizon – 4-5 satellites.
There is a minus though – when the GPS is on the battery discharges at high speeds, so the navigator of the i7110 can hardly be used as a pedestrian, and for a car, too, the novelty is hardly suitable – the diagonal of the display is small.

Outcome
The functionality of the new model is not very ggod, but quite adequate for a wide range of users, who will need to enhance the ability of the tube later. Of the minuses the absence of a standard audio jack must be mentioned, uncomfortable and not really necessary optical joystick, short time of autonomous work (not only with the GPS) in general, and of course the problematic keys of navigation.
But, as a whole, Samsung i7110 is a good machine and leaves a pleasant impression. It is possible, that one should get used to it at first, then fall in love with it, and in the future – just use it, not paying attention to different things, spoiling life.

Appearance
The dimensions (110.0 x 49.0 x 11.7 mm) and weight (99.8 g) of Sony Ericsson W902 can be considered as medium – it is better to be carried in a pocket or in a belt case. The design of the innovation is strict, but without minimalism.
Moreover, the black plastic body from all sides has literally distinguished design elements. So, right end differs from the left by applied diamond-shaped notches, smoothly passing on to the right side of the unit. By this the manufacturer wanted to emphasize the key block, managing multimedia functions, located on the right facet. With this solution Sony Ericsson W902 does not look symmetrical, and that is what attracts attention. By the way, the whole idea of unbalanced design is very seductive, but manufacturers rarely gratify it with attention.
The feeling of the high cost is only intensified if you remove partly the metal lid that covers the battery – on the reverse side there is a riffling for roughness, soft inset for contact with the lens and the metal screen that simulates the electrical mass of the body. All these thoughtful little things once again underline the high status of the new item.
The front panel, covered with transparent plastic with a dark polished substrate is, of course, soiled, but it is the disadvantage of many modern tubes. The display of the device is covered with mineral glass; it is not afraid of scratches, and consequently, image eclipse in the future.
In general, Sony Ericsson W902 produces a very pleasant impression reinforced by the fact that the smooth curved lines and the oval surface are successfully combined with the sharp edges of upper ends. The play on the contrast of lines and forms, together with the broken symmetry makes the unit quite attractive.

The unit of Sony Ericsson W902, located below the display, is made in the form of protruding on the front panel keys. The manufacturer wisely decided not to implement any sensory “zests”, totally unsuitable for the harsh Russian winter, or a single keyboard, which creates a lot of problems with random functioning. But the form of government is very unusual. Above the digital block three circles are located, each containing three keys.
Complicated at first glance, the design was very easy to use. There was no false in functioning, and at the same time the buttons are easily pressed with finger pads, rather than nails, as with other models. As a result, we have a bold and original design combined with high functional management (there is even a button, which is responsible for switching between tasks), and perfect work (tactile efficiency of all buttons is ideal).
In addition, the block of multimedia keys should be noted. It is located on the right end, as well as a round button Walkman at the upper end.
They provide not only convenient management of entertainment functions, but also quick access to the MP3-player and camera. All these keys are significantly above the surface of the shell, but at the same time have a relatively tough course, so they cannot be pressed accidentally.
The only button that we would like to see in this musical phone is a slide locking button. The program blocking copes well with its functions, but hardware blocking would be better all the same.

Other Features
The phone connects to a computer via USB-cable from the traditional for the Sony Ericsson brand interface. This connector is also used for charging and for connecting an audio adapter to a standard mini jack of 3,5 mm, to which the set headphones or any others are connected.
It is probably useless to appeal to the developers of the Swedish-Japanese joint venture, for installing a normal 3.5-mm mini jack in their musical models.
A slot for a memory card of M2 format is located under the battery compartment lid. However, in order to install the card itself you do not need to remove the battery, and therefore – and do not have to disconnect the phone.
But to call this method of installing the memory card easy is hardly acceptable. By the way, in the set with the new model a card of 8 GB capacity and a stylish USB-adapter are supplied.
This amount of memory is sufficient to create a music library for a few days, and even some additional space will remain for photos. Those who find it insufficient can buy a 16 GB card, its cost, though, will not be cheap.

Time of autonomous work
If you do not use the MP3-player, but talk on the phone about 20 minutes a day and regularly work with the address book, the device will have to be charged about once every three days. But if this includes exploiting the MP3-player (for three hours a day), then the battery of the W902 will operate for two days. Well, and with continuous music playing the time will be just over 25 hours, which is a fairly high rate.

Display
In addition to the aforementioned the TFT-display of the W902 has large angles of view, high rate of brightness and clarity of the image. But its technical features are standard – 2.2-inch diagonal, with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and support of 260 thousand colors.
However, this cannot be considered a weakness. Photos on the screen of the new model look superb – loss of details is minimal, and the color is as close to the natural as possible.

Connection
In terms of communication a musical top-model has to be omnivorous. The W902 not only works in all the GSM networks (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), but also supports 3G networks. Access to the Internet in the GSM-network is supposed to be via GPRS or EDGE, which is faster. And the connection to other devices is possible due to a built-in Bluetooth-module with support of EDR. No criticism to the quality of communication (we have not tested only the 3G) the phone works even in areas with weak signal. However, one detail was noticed – in such problematic places the indicator signal often behaves inappropriately, descending completely to zero, then suddenly issuing the highest rate. It has no effect on the quality of communication, but nothing like that was observed in other devices.
Another module on board is the FM-radio, which is operated by an original program with a fairly strict interface. The radio is no worse than in any stereo system.
As an antenna traditionally serves the wire of headphones, so without their connection the application does not operate.

Menu
The Russian menu of the W902 – is the acme of perfection, which the developers from Sony Ericsson have reached to date. Beautifully selected colors, stylish animated icons and intuitively comprehensible structure makes the interface of this phone one of the best in its class.
For beginners tips are provided for each section, not intrusive pop-up tips, but produced with hand.
The main menu is a matrix of 3 x 4 icons, but depending on the chosen topic it may be a text menu, and a rotating three-dimensional one, and in a form of a large icon displayed on the screen. Preset themes are available for every taste. The office abilities are presented by a standard set of tools: an extensive address book, alarm clock, calculator, stopwatch, a list of calls, internet browser tool to memorize the codes, etc. The flash of the built-in camera, may also serve as a flashlight. To determine the location, the supplement Google Maps is used. There is even a utility calculating steps.
The pedometer has few configurations, but also helps to maintain your body in tone (unless, of course, you fulfill the everyday norm). And among the three pre-set games with a three-dimensional interface the famous Need for Speed was found.

Camera
As we have said, the main priority of the new item is its musical ability. Nevertheless, the camera of the W902 deserves no less respect. It has a 5 MP resolution, with a possibility to save the image up to 2592 x 1944, an autofocus and flash.
The latter, although it is LED, has an extremely bright light – not xenon, of course, but the user will hardly feel significant difference. The lens is protected by glass, but unfortunately no shutter is provided – before shooting you often have to wipe the lens.
The program of working with the camera has a simple but attractive interface, which will certainly seem familiar to owners of other camera phones by Sony Ericsson. Settings are many: image quality, white balance, enabling / disabling of the flash, the choice of one of the standard scenes of shooting (including a panorama mode), the imposition of special effects, and insertion of a frame on the photo.
The quality of images is decent. Bright vivid colors, rich details and the availability of excellent focus will be an excellent incentive not only for the transfer of shots to the Internet, but also for their print, however, the format is not more than 10 x 15 cm. Still, this is not a photo camera, but a camera phone, though with an 5-MP matrix. The camera loses a little in competition, but in general the quality of images is worthy of deep respect – even in night scenes there is not so much noise, as we used to see. Below you see the test shots, and the archive with full size photos, can be downloaded here.

And on the following pictures you can see how the image stabilizer works. The filming was carried out with a hand in a moving subway car. The first upper frame corresponds to shooting without using a stabilizer, the picture below – with the stabilizer on.

Conclusions
Sony Ericsson W902 is good in everything: the original design, sound ergonomics, high quality images, excellent music capabilities, rich set. And though everything in the new model is of the highest quality, the price does not stand up to competition. Alas, but competitors showed slightly better results at lower cost for example Nokia N79 equipped (with a GPS-navigator, a Wi-Fi-module etc.).

To call Sony Ericsson W995 beautiful is not an easy thing to do. Rather, it is nice, although a black «brick» could hardly seem nice. Then it can still be assumed that the novelty is executed in a strict style, with elements of light decor. The use of a silver color, with which all the keys and inserts on the lower and upper ends are painted, should be noted as well.

By the way, at the upper end, under the small nets (they quickly «fill» with dust), are the dynamics for the polyphony and in the middle – oh, miracle, a 3.5-mm jack for connecting headphones. In fact, this is the first device from Sony Ericsson (XPERIA is not in account, as HTC is produced), on which this connector is present.

At the back of the Sony Ericsson W995 is a metal rack for putting the phone on the table or any flat surface. Many people (especially on the eve of holidays), take it for a bottle «opener», and some – for a «holder» for the strap. They can be understood; the designers have outsmarted themselves.

At the right end the key of the player management is brought out and the volume regulation button and the camera. At the left end are the start button and the universal connector player. The back cover is made of metal, securely held by a special latch. The grey plastic on the back of the upper lid mat, decorated with circles, looks funny and dilutes the dominance of black.

As for the tactile convenience, there is a problem – the unit slips from the hands at every opportunity, as it is made of slippery (sorry for the tautology) materials.

Keyboard and display

As we see in the photo, Sony Ericsson W995 is simply packed with buttons, so there are already 8 contextual keys. I must say it does not lead to erroneous clicking, the distance between the keys allows to recommend the device, even to a big male.

But the keys of dial are not so comfortable. It is desirable to press them with a finger nail, because the finger pad covers two keys at once – this is one problem, the buttons are barely raised above the surface and the touch is not expressed – this the second one. Personally, I had errors occurring time to time during the typing. The white lighting is not bright, but smooth, and the symbols are clearly legible in the dark.

Also, the experience showed that to govern the speaker volume during a call is inconvenient – the key is not at hand, as well as its modest size … well, you understand.

The qualitative display is one of the chips of W995. Its physical size of 2.6 inches is ideal for such a multimedia phone. As shown, the screen is really good – high brightness with a margin, large viewing angles, juicy colors, coupled with accurate color, ultra-fine grain. Besides, the well-traced menu icons with a large font, that users with poor eyesight will appreciate, should be noted. On the sun the picture is well seen, you can even make images using the screen as a viewfinder, which will, by all means, be useful if there is a 8-MP camera on board.

The menu does not differ (at least I did not notice) from that of earlier models. It is simple, logical, not inhibitory, with the ability of display in one of the three types. Of course, you can choose one of the five themes that look quite stylish.

Camera

An 8-MP auto-focus camera is installed in the W995 with a LED flash as an assistant. After pressing the power key (in the camera mode, it is highlighted in white), three seconds pass, after which the image appears on the display, another two seconds are spent on taking the white balance. The menu of the photo supplement is the same as in previous models, such as the C905. The functions available to the user can be seen on the screenshots, it should only be added that the possibility of recognizing a person works once in awhile.

In the fully automatic mode, the camera stubbornly did not want to switch to the «macro», only after a manual switching it was possible to obtain sharp images, made at close range.

In the W995, like in many cell phones with GPS,you can put geo-markers on images to see afterwards the place of shooting through the Google-maps.

The player and radio

The quality of reproduction is good, but it could be better. The volume was decent, and the possibility of moving small overhead headphones was pleasing. But it was not so with the flat sound, no matter how you turn the EQs or change the settings. I compared the new one with the Nokia N96, and the Finnish child provides more natural (not to mention the volume), live sound that was clear from the first chords.

Of course, a breakdown of the music content is supported, including “by years” or by the tempo of playback – the SenseMe feature.

It should be noted that the “fade in and fade out” works pleasantly, the rewind within a track is performed smartly. The side buttons are comfortable after a slight adjustment; they can be used with your eyes closed.

For music fans it should be noted that you can connect two pairs of headphones – via a standard connector, and through the Sony-Ericson one on the left end. It is a trifle, but a pleasant one.

By the way I turned out to have a compact MS410 «column» for «Sony-Ericsons». It connects to the phone via the company’s plug FastPort at the end, the accessory is installed on the table and … the song flows. It seems that some fans of listening to music in public places will appreciate this device because the speaker gives a decent volume. How much does it cost? It is promised to be announced in summer, if oil prices do not fall together with the «wood».

The radio has no problems with reception, certainly not in the city; outside the city problems like noise and interference are possible. RDS is working correctly, the memory for radio points is little – only 20 cells. According to the tradition, not departing from the cashier, you can find out the name of the composition in air – TackId function at your service.

Other functions

Enough toys- seven pieces, some of them engage a position sensor, such as bowling, Diamond Islands or Nitro Street Racing. By the way, in W995 only full versions of games are presented, not demos, as in some tubes of Samsung.

There is also a WiFi, the sensitivity is average, near the access points it operates normally. The navigation is represented by well-known applications, Google Maps or Wayfinder, nothing new there.

Also there are convenient file manager, and five independent alarms with the possibility of fine tuning.

Someone will like the Music Quiz supplement, something like «guess the melody» game, in which you guess an excerpt from the song sounding from the tube library.

Someone will consider funny VoiceFX, – a funny program to change the voices, sounds, etc.

The fact that a standard audio point is installed in the Sony Ericsson W995 is a great job. After all, how much time it took for this simple operation …

The device will definitely be a success! Good sound, an 8-MP camera, a beautiful display, and a lot of other goods are there on board of the W995. The set will be supplied with an 8 GB memory card, which is pleasant and necessary for a musical model.

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