Sony Ericsson S700i Review

Cellular phone designers are always attempting to find new forms for mobiles. The only two that have become relatively universal are the block and flip formats, although that hasn’t stopped a number of companies from experimenting with the form.

Although the S700i is very similar to the Motorola V80, it still represents an attempt to experiment away from the standard, as this phone opens rotationally, the front face sliding 90 or 180 degrees to open up new modes of functionality.

Closed, the S700i looks almost like a PDA, with an enormous screen, a 5-way joystick, and 4 operational buttons. Control here comes from navigating the animated characters on the bright, 262K color screen with TFT technology, which allow you to place and accept calls, and to manipulate this mobile’s multitude of features.

By turning the screen 180 degrees, a keypad emerges that allows expanded ability to write text, and to dial using standard number buttons. At 90 degrees the screen/keypad combination allows greater game play, maximizing the phone’s joystick/keypad combo on all of the available 3D Java games.

The 1.3 Megapixel digital camera is activated with a single click, and the pictures and short videos that it captures are shown in beautiful detail on the enormous 240 X 320 pixel screen. Sending the pics that you decide are worth keeping on the 41 MB user accessible memory is only as easy as deciding which format to send them in. With BluetoothÔ, Infrared, and direct connectivity, you can send files by E-mail, SMS, MMS, and most other widely available methods.

The memory that the phone boasts is easily augmented with an extra Memory Stick DuoÔ, allowing you to house all your media in one place. With 40-Voice Polyphonic ringtones, and Sony Ericsson’s MusicDJÔ software—for creating MP3 ringtones—the S700i offers a variety of customization functions.

The S700i is a well-made, functional phone that is near the top of its class. With almost every conceivable feature built into such a small phone, and the interesting rotational screen, this phone incorporates both technological and design innovation: a must have for the tech junkie in all of us.

The main features of the Sony Ericsson S700i:

Tri Band: GSM 900/1800/1900
JavaÔ 3D Games
Animated Display
BluetoothÔ
Speaker Phone
40-Voice Polyphonic
E-mail
SMS
MMS
Infrared Link
1.3 Megapixel Digital Camera
Video Recorder
FM Radio
MP3 Player
Organizer

Technical Specifications of the Sony Ericsson S700i:

Weight: 137 g.
Talktime: 7 h.
Standby time: 300 h.
41 MB Memory
262,144 color display
Height: 108 mm.
Width: 49 mm.
Depth: 25 mm.
Display Width: 240 pixels
Display Height: 320 pixels
Battery: 780 mAh

The features that the Sony Ericsson S700i is missing:

Touchscreen

Accessories available for the Sony Ericsson S700i:

Handsfree Device
Alternate Covers
32 MB Memory Stick DuoÔ
USB Data Cable
Microphone
Car charger