Camera Phones Plaza

The actual device market is the ultimate frontier within the whole process of releasing a new line of products. Manufacturers always try different advertising or solutions to get as many focused minds on their products. Recently I saw the BlackBerry advertising for the new flagship phone model due to be announced on the 5^th of November. RIM really tries to involve as many elements as they can in this launch, which includes keeping the place of the event secret until you register to the event.


Probably the only things that are impressing people these days involve grand events not only in launching a new phone line, an new phone, but also when it comes to concerts (normal concerts are not that interesting if they're not world wide spread with a full show to display and not just some sang songs). In a previous article, I presented you the new entry level mobile phones line from LG, named "GB". This new line includes so many models that you probably don't even know about. Even more dramatic is that some of these phones are actually good for their price range.

So, why aren't you informed about these phones? Mostly the current problem is due to the lack of proper advertising the potential customers want. I am guessing that in the near future we are going to see full impressive concerts as part of the launch of the new iPhone, or maybe the new "N" series from Nokia (which by the way is so close of being revamped completely, or just taken into retiring, with a new series on the way).

The "GB" line was launched at the beginning of 2009, with only two models. Since then this line became one of the most consistent line in terms of the number of phones, and form factors offered. A nice looking clamshell phone, GB 250 was initially announced in February and released in August. It sports a nice design, including three colored plastic design. The front cover embedded a blue plastic look (metallic finish) with a glossy black frame which includes the external display.

The hinge and back cover as well as the inside of the GB 250 sports a silver case look, made entirely out of plastic. The design looks nice, not cheap, but the build quality is not at its best performances. With a height of 97.6 mm, wide of 48.8 mm, deep of 16.9 mm, the GB 250 weights under 100 grams. This phone is not the lightest or the most portable but it is pretty easy to carry around. The GB 250 runs in 2 G networks, GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900, and in 3G network, HSDPA 2100.

The specs you are going to read about are included into an entry level phone. While the external monochrome TFT screen only has a 1 inch screen display with 96 x 64 pixels resolution the internal TFT display includes a 2 inches screen display with 176 x 220 pixels resolution, capable of rendering 256000 colors. The internal memory provided is huge for an entry level phone, 1 GB, value expandable by using the micro SD memory cards, or Trans Flash memory cards, up to 4 GB. The connectivity is ensured by the GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth version 2.0, USB connection, and HSDPA with 1.8 MB per second. LG included in the GB 250 a 1.3 MP camera capable of 1280 x 1024 pixels, without any video recording capabilities. Beside the MP3 player, you are not going to get any special software available.

The included standard battery is rather small, only 800 mAh Lithium Ion battery, which should provide about 280 hours standby time in 2G network, and 230 hours standby time in 3G network. The talk time reaches about 4 hours in 2G networks, while in the 3G network you get about 3 hours and 28 minutes. In March 2009, LG announced the GB 210, released in May this year.

This candy bar phone is the upgrade to the GB 110. With a nice design, including a metallic look like plastic covers with several nice touches, within the navigational keys, this phone looks nice and feels the same. With a good build quality, this phone also sports a proper feedback within both navigational keys and keyboard. It can only run in the 2G network, GSM 900 / 1800. With a height of 103.7 mm, wide of 47 mm, deep of 15.6 mm, the GB 210 weights about 79 grams, making this phone very portable and easy to slide into any pocket.

The phone sports only one display because of its form factor, with a 1.77 inches screen diagonal, TFT technology, and a resolution of 120 x 160 pixels, this display can render about 65000 colors. Its internal memory is only 4 MB, but this value can be expanded using the micro SD memory cards, or the Trans Flash memory cards up to 4 GB. You get some connectivity with the GPRS and the HSCSD, Bluetooth with the A2DP profile and the USB connection. However, the EDGE, 3G, and Wi-Fi lack from the GB 210 connectivity package.


The same 1.3 megapixel digital camera found on the GB 250 can be found on the GB 210, sporting a maximum resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels. However, this phone includes more than just the MP3 player. You can find a web browser, MP4 player (H.263), and an FM radio. Also upgraded is the 950 mAh Lithium Ion battery which should provide about 500 hours in standby and 5 hours in talk time. Overall the GB 210 is a good balanced phone, which provides sufficient features for its price range. Also, the design is pretty interesting thanks to the titanium finish.

Another GB phone announced in March and released in July this year, is the GB 125, a 2G network phone (GSM 900 / 1800) sporting a clamshell form factor. In terms of design, this phone looks very unique. Its design, however, is rather subjective, some might love it, and some might hate it, it simply up to everyone in question to decide. This phone has a lot of sharp angles in construction.

When closed its silver metallic look like body really looks nice delivering a nice impression. However, when opened this phone looks rather strange. In a way is reminds me of some old Sony Ericsson Walkman model. In the inside the GB 125 sports a black matte plastic which feels really nice. However, the plastic keys leave a bad impression when used, since they offer only an average feedback. Even so, all the keys, either navigational keys, or keyboard keys are good sized. With a height of 87 mm, wide of 45 mm, deep of 19.3 mm, the GB 125 weights about 90 grams. If this phone would have been thinnest, it would probably be one of the most portable phones on the market.


Even so, the handling is pretty great and the phone can easily be slide into any pocket. LG included status LED indicators instead of an external display, while inside it included a 1.5 inches CSTN display with a resolution of 128 x 128 pixels, capable of rendering about 65000 colors. Let's talk about what you don't get. You don't get HSCSD, EDGE, 3G, WLAN, Bluetooth, USB connection, and no memory card slot. You do, however, get the GPRS connection. The battery included in this phone is a Lithium Ion 950 mAh, should provide about 440 hours of standby time and up to 6 hours and 30 minutes in talk time. You get no digital camera, no MP3 player, but you do get a FM radio.

Overall, the GB 125 includes a weird design and basic functions, with its main key being the almost unique design. LG didn't stop here, until today the LG included in the GB line another four phone models, the GB 230 (slider), the GB 170 (candy bar form with some specs), the GB 109 (candy bar form entry level with basic functions), and the GB 270 (candy bar form, which can be considered the high end entry level phone, with an excellent design and good specs). All these four phone models will be presented in a future article. Overall, the GB line is truly an entry level line, however, with a little patience you can find good phones for less money with more than a few features from the bottom average line.

No manufacturer is ready to give up a certain phone line, such as the entry level line. Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG are all trying to successfully cover all the possible phone lines with models that are starting to become more and more attractive even for entry level phones. This evolution is part of the manufacturer's competition to exceed one another. However, on the market this only means one thing, excellent products for less money. LG is trying to consolidate its position in the entry level phone line since January this year. Its new entry level phone line is branded as "GB". The first model was announced on January 2009, GB 106, and released in March 2009. This phone really looks like cheap. You get old form factor, with cheap plastic body, and a colored frame finish.

The navigational keys and the alphanumerical keys are all made of rubber, and the battery cover sports a small flex when pressed. With a height of 102 mm, wide of 45 mm, deep of 14.6 mm, the GB 106 weights about 70 grams, making this phone really lightweight and easy to carry around. The included display is an old 1.5 inches CSTN with 128 x 128 pixels resolution, capable of rendering up to 65000 colors. It lacks any connectivity whatsoever and includes a 1 MB onboard memory. You get only SMS function and a FM radio.

The battery included is a Lithium Ion with 950 mAh, capable of offering 440 hours in standby (GSM 900 / 1800), and up to 6 hours and 30 minutes of talk time. This phone is just the first from ten GB phones released by LG by now. I am going to present you in chronological time the next four GB model, while the last five will be part of a future article. Also announced in January 2009 and released on March 2009, the GB 110 sports a better design, than the GB 106. Although the navigational keys and the alphanumerical keys are still made out of rubber, the overall build of the GB 110 is improved. The design is also more 2007, and not 2003. This phone runs in 2G network, GSM 900 / 1800. With a height of 103 mm, wide of 45 mm, deep of 14.6 mm, the GB 110 weights about 65 grams, making this phone even more compact than the BG 106. LG included in the GB 110 the same 1.5 inches CSTN display with 128 x 128 pixels resolution, capable of rendering up to 65000 colors.

With only 1 MB internal memory, this phone lacks any possible entertainment. However, the GB 110 sports a memory card slot, compatible with micro SD memory cards with the maximum value of 4 GB. The connectivity is only ensured by the 2.0 USB connections. LG also added in the GB 110 a VGA camera capable of taking photos only in 640 x 480 pixels. No video recording capabilities, but GB 110 sports a MP3 player. The same Lithium Ion 950 mAh battery used on GB 106 is included in the GB 110, capable of providing up to 440 hours in standby and up to 6 hours and 30 minutes talk time.

As a conclusion, the GB 110 is a solid upgrade of the GB 106. The third GB model announced in February 2009, sports a different style, with nice design and good entry level specs. The GB 130 is a slider sporting a matte black plastic on the unopened front cover and back cover. The frame surrounding the display is made out of a glossy material. The alphanumerical keyboard and the sides of GB 130 are made out of a silvery plastic, giving the design a nice contrast. The front cover includes the display, above which you get the earpiece and the "LG" logo, while below the display you can find the navigational keys including, two soft keys, alarm clock key, call key, end call key, calendar key, five way navigational pad (up, down, left, right and the centered OK). Once opened the GB 130 sports a big alphanumerical keyboard. The keys are made out of a rubber plastic material. The feedback is average, not too great, but not too bad.

The build quality is overall average, but the design is certainly an improvement over the first two models. With a height of 103 mm, wide of 47 mm, deep of 15.6 mm, the GB 130 doesn't have a specified weight offered by LG (weird but true). LG included in the GB 130 a 2.0 inches TFT display with a resolution of 120 x 160 pixels, capable of rendering about 65000 colors. The internal memory was improved to 64 MB, but LG removed the memory card slot from GB 130. The connectivity is ensured only by the GPRS and the USB connectivity. The same battery on the GB 106 and GB 110 was also included in this model, Lithium Ion 950 mAh battery. The standby value will not pass 400 hours (in the 2G network GSM 900 / 1800), while the talk time is about 6 hours.

Overall, the GB 130 is an improved version of GB 110 in terms of design and display. However the lack of memory card slot and digital camera make includes this phone under the GB 110 in terms of a balanced price / specs. The fourth model announced and released this year, the GB 102 is located in terms of specs under the GB 106. However, the GB 102 sports an improved design, with a nice matte black plastic body, and a nice form factor. Also the navigational keys are made out of a metallic material, while the alpha numerical keyboard is made out of one piece of black rubber which looks nice. In terms of design this phone is really attractive. With a height of 103 mm, wide of 45 mm, deep of 14 mm, the GB 102 includes a 1.5 inches CSTN display with a resolution of 128 x 128 pixels, capable of rendering about 65000 colors. You get no memory card slot, no camera and no connectivity. Beside the organizer and the T9, the GB 102 doesn't sport anything else.

LG included into this model a Lithium Ion battery with 800 mAh, capable of 400 hours in standby and 6 hours and 30 minutes in talk time. Between GB 106 and GB 102, the last one is a better choice. The last phone in this article is the LG GB 220 also known as "Kate" announced in February 2009 and released in August 2009. The GB 220 sports a nice design made out of a matte black plastic inside and on the back cover, while on the outside cover (since GB 220 sports a clamshell design) sport a metallic silver frame surrounding a patterned glossy surface that covers the external display. Inside you can see the stainless steel hinge and the plastic keys from the alphanumerical keyboard.

The navigational keys are not only better looking but also provide a better feedback than the alphanumerical keyboard. LG improved dramatically the build quality. The GB 220 sports a solid build, with no flex whatsoever, not even from the keyboard keys which deliver an average feedback. With a height of 105 mm, wide of 46 mm, deep of 14 mm, the GB 220 weights only 72 grams, making it very portable and easy to carry around. LG included in the GB 220 an external display of 1 inch (TFT technology) with a resolution of 96 x 64 pixels, while inside it added a 1.76 inches TFT display with 176 x 144 pixels resolution capable of rendering about 65000 colors.

On board the GB 220 you can find 512 MB, expandable value using the micro SD memory card or Trans Flash memory cards up to 2 GB. The connectivity is ensured by the GPRS and EDGE, Bluetooth version 2.0 and the USB connectivity. LG also included a 1.3 megapixel camera with a maximum resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels. The GB 220 sports a Lithium Ion battery with 800 mAh value, which should provide about 300 hours in standby, or 3 hours and 20 minutes in talk time for the 2G network - GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900. Overall, these five models are in terms of specs and design cheap mobile phones. However, the GB 220 is closer to what an entry level mobile phone should be, average specs, with a nice design and an entry level price tag.

Everyone is looking for the best mobile carrier to subscribe to. But not always we find what we are really looking for from one mobile carrier. Maybe you need special features in the subscription with let's say O2 for personal use, and other features from a certain subscription form Orange.

So, what is there to do in such cases? When you find yourself balancing between two mobile carrier providers you get two choices, either have two phones and try desperately not to forget one of them, to lose them, or even forget to charge them, or just buy a dual SIM phone. Sure, you might say that only unknown manufacturers offer such phones, especially the ones from China which are copycats of other mobile phones, but reality might contradict you.


I can't praise Samsung by introducing last year the first dual SIM phone that looked exactly like F480, but I can say that in 2009 Samsung successfully offered a full line of dual SIM phones making their portfolio almost complete with any possible line potential customers might need. "Almost" because Samsung still has to expand their business phone line. Therefore, some of the most purchased dual SIM Samsung phones are D980, B5702 and C5212.

Samsung D980 was one of the first Samsung phones to provide the dual SIM option. In terms of design, the D980 resemblance the F480. The front side sports the touch screen display, with the earpiece located above, and call button, end call button and ok button below the display. The phone is made out of a glossy black plastic. Unfortunately, this means you will get a lot of fingerprints on it and minor scratches. Even more you might find the D980 slippery. Even so, the design is completed by the stainless steel frame which matches the stylus material.

The design is not spectacular, but it looks good. The build quality is worthy of the Samsung logo. With a height of 97.5 mm, wide of 55 mm, deep of 16.3 mm, the D980 weights about 117 grams, making it extremely portable and easy to slide into any pocket. Samsung D980 runs in for both SIM 2G networks, GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM1 and GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM2. Samsung included in the D980 a 2.6 inches TFT resistive touch screen with 240 x 320 pixels resolution, capable of rendering 256000 colors.


You can find onboard this phone about 45 MB, expandable value using the micro SD memory cards, or the Trans Flash memory cards, up to 2 GB supported. The connectivity is ensured by the Class 10 GPRS (4+1 / 3+2 common by now slots) with a speed from the lowest 32 Kb per second to the highest 48 Kb per second, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, 2.0 USB connectivity, Class 10 EDGE with the highest speed of 236.8 Kb per second. a nice feature is the embedded 5 megapixel digital camera with a resolution of 2592 x 1944 pixels featuring auto focus, and dual LED flash. Also available is the video recording in QVGA mode with 15 frames per second. The Lithium Ion battery with 1200 mAh only offers 200 hours of standby time, and about 3 hours in talk time.


Overall the D980 brought nice features for a Samsung pioneer in the dual SIM line. The D980 was announced in the summer of 2008, and was released for commercial sale in October 2008. In chronological time, the second released dual SIM mobile phone by Samsung was the C5212. This phone was announced in February 2009, and released on May 2009. By unknown reasons this phone is also known as Samsung Fizz. Its design is rather conservative. The C5212 sports a classic candy bar look. The front side sports a 2.2 inches display.

Above it you get the earpiece and the "Duos" logo, while below it, you can find the navigational pad including the four way directional key (up, down, left, and right) that centers the OK button. You also get two soft keys and the call key and end call key. Under the navigational buttons you get the alpha numerical keys.


All the keys on the C5212 offer a good feedback. However the build quality should have been better, since you some flex when pressing the buttons. All the C5212 is made out of matte black plastic. Even so, if your hand is a little wet this phone might just slip through your fingers. The final conclusion on the design is that it looks somewhat cheap, and it feels the same. The Samsung excellent quality in build and materials used lack in this phone. With a height of 112.7 mm, wide of 48.6 mm, deep of 14.3 mm, the C5212 weight about 98.7 grams, making this phone the thinnest or lightest in its line.

Both SIMs can run only in the 2G network, GSM 900 / 1800. Samsung included a 2.2 inches TFT display with a 176 x 220 pixels resolution, capable of rendering about 256000 colors. On board the C5212 you can find 60 MB, expandable value with micro SD memory cards or Trans Flash memory cards up to 8 GB. The connectivity is ensured by the Class 10 GPRS with a varying speed from 32 Kb per second to 48 Kb per second, Class 10 EDGE, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, and 2.0 USB connections.


Samsung included in this phone only a 1.3 megapixel digital camera with the higher resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels. You can also record videos in QCIF mode with 15 frames per second. The embedded 1000 mAh Lithium Ion battery provides a standby value of 250 hours and a talk time of about 3 hours. These values are small, especially since this phone should be capable of at least 7 hours of talk time, after all that is way you bought a dual SIM phone. The last phone in this article is the dual SIM B5702. Fortunately this phone doesn't suffer from "aka" syndrome like C5212. Announced in February it was released in June 2009. Its design is certainly improved than the one found on the C5212.

The form factor is slider, and the case is made out of silver and black plastic, with several metallic finishes on the back cover and surrounding the navigational pad plus the stainless steel frame. This design resemblance with other Samsung models but even so it looks nice. On the front cover, above the display you get the earpiece and the "Duos" logo, while below the display you find the four way keys (up, down, left, and right) centering the Ok button. You also get the call key, end call key, the back key, and two soft keys. The navigational pad and the alpha numerical keyboard are well built and provide nice feedback.


Overall, the design is certainly worthy of Samsung logo, with a nice design a great built quality. With a height of 106 mm, wide of 52.5 mm, deep of 16.9 mm, the B5702 weights about 120 grams. This phone runs only in the 2G network, GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 and GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 2. Samsung included in the B5702 a 2.4 inches TFT display with 240 x 320 pixels, capable of rendering about 256000 colors.

Samsung included on board the B5702 about 50 MB; expandable value thanks to the micro SD memory cards and the Trans Flash memory cards (up to 8 GB). The connectivity is ensured by the Class 10 GPRS with the common by now slots and a speed from 32 Kb per second to 48 Kb per second, HSCSD, Class 10 EDGE with a speed of 236.8 Kb per second, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and USB 2.0 connection.


Samsung also included a 3.15 megapixel camera with a maximum resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels with autofocus. Unfortunately the videos taken with this camera will not really impress anyone in the VGA mode with 15 frames per second. The included Lithium Ion battery of 1200 mAh will only offer 220 hours in standby time and 11 hours and 30 minutes in talk time. These values are way more acceptable than the ones found on the C5212. Overall, Samsung has guessed well that diversity, even in the dual SIM line, is something you need to access market success.

Sony Ericsson phones are like wine, more attractive with time. At the official launch, these phones really lack something, anything that might just make you buy them. If you are a Sony Ericsson fan, then your answer will be quite violent at least in vocabulary, but for the rest of the sane people out there with some brain activity the above mentioned will be understood. The main reason for why Sony Ericsson doesn't succeed in selling from the beginning its products is bad management and marketing.


You see, their products are not all that great, let's say average (however average is good, a lot of people need and buy average products) but released on market for higher price ranges. Therefore, the obvious solution for the careful customers is to wait a few months (six months is the average time, and nine months will successfully bring you a bargain) before purchasing any Sony Ericsson phones. This is the case of Sony Ericsson Walkman W595.

Announced in July 2008, and released on September 2008, the W595 is currently offered for what it is really worth. This phone sports some key features like the 2.2 inches OVGA TFT display, the 3 megapixel digital camera, accelerometer sensor, multi tasking, stereo speakers, and the 3.5 mm audio jack. Unfortunately you can also find main disadvantages, such as the lack of auto focus, cheap plastic design, no office document view or edit, and a few more others.

Because the Sony Ericsson phones usually don't have a direct competitor, the W595 is hard to be included in a specific range. The most logic choice would be the middle audio orientated mobile phones. Even so, only Nokia has to offer a few middle range phones with audio features (with the Xpress Music), but overall the Xpress Music phones defeat by far the Walkman phones (as an overall result, while in the music department the walkman phones are with a step ahead the Xpress Music phones). With a height of 100 mm, wide of 47 mm, deep of 14 mm, the W595 weights about 104 grams.


Therefore, this phone is easy to carry around (not the smallest or lightest), featuring average dimensions and weight. For a phone made almost 70% out of plastic the W595 weights maybe a little too much. Even so, beside the plastic body, you still get a few nice finishes such as the side metallic finishes and the rubber feeling plastic on the back cover. The design is by far impressive or stylish. The phone looks normal, and the build quality is at best average.

The phone doesn't just look a little cheap but also feels so, when handled without patience. On the front cover, above the display you get beside the earpiece, an ambient light sensor, while below the display you can find the navigational pad and the dedicated music keys. Therefore, you get the four way directional keys (up, down, left, and right), centered by the okay button. The center button also has another function, the play or pause function, while the left key involves the rewind function and the right key the forward button.


You also get the call key, the end call key, the back key, two soft keys, and the menu key. Once you slide the phone you get the alphanumerical keys, which are easy to use and nice built. The keyboard is well sized and offers enough feedback for an average user. You should have no problems even if you are used to text more than call. On the right side the W595 sports the dedicated Walkman key, and the volume controls. On the other side you can find the branded connector port. On both top and bottom sides, Sony Ericsson included a stereo speaker. On the back cover you get, either opened or closed, on the upper left corner the 3 megapixel camera lens and that is about all you get, no LED flash, no Xenon flash whatsoever. This camera lacks even protective cover.

The operating system is not exactly full of business applications mostly because it is Walkman branded. Therefore, you have to expect of excellent music features and basic features in rest. This phone runs in both 2G network with GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 and 3G network with HSDPA 2100. Sony Ericsson included in the W595a 2.2 inches TFT display with 240 x 320 pixels resolution with 256000 colors, and a built in accelerometer sensor in order to enable the auto rotate function.


Even if the W595 sports an ambient light sensor, its display will not offer sufficient brightness under direct sunlight. In terms of memory, the W595 has a small onboard memory of 40 MB, expandable with Memory Stick Micro memory cards up to 8 GB. The connectivity is ensured by the GPRS Class 10 (with the common by now 4+1 / 3+2 slots) with a varying speed between 32 Kb per second to 48 Kb per second, HSCSD, EDGE Class 10 with 236.8 Kb per second, 2.0 USB connectivity, Bluetooth version 2.0 with A2DP, and HSDPA with 3.6 MB per second. On board the W595 you can find a 3.15 megapixel camera with a maximum resolution possible of 2048 x 1536 pixels.

Even more this camera is capable of video recording but only in QVGA mode with only 15 frames per second. as any other phone camera the 3.15 megapixel camera sports some nice features such as geo tagging, or editing settings, like effects, white balance and others. Sony Ericsson ships the W595 with a BST 33 Lithium Polymer battery with 950 mAh power. This battery should be enough for about 385 hours of standby time in 2G network and 365 hours of standby time in 3G network. This battery should also offer about 9 hours of talk time in 2G networks, and about 4 hours and 30 minutes in 3G networks.


Because this is a music orientated phone you should know that this battery will allow you to listen to almost 26 hours of music playback. Sony Ericsson provides the W595 with a good balanced retail package, including the USB cable, mandatory charger, a two ear piece headset with remote and two 3.5 mm audio jacks, and a 2 GB Memory Stick Micro card. Overall, after the current price drop, the Sony Ericsson W595 is more attractive than ever in terms of music. If you are looking for a music phone in the first place, then the W595 might just be what you are looking for. However, if you also want some business features or a good camera then you should keep on looking to other mobile phones because W595 is not the phone for you.

Constantly changing and updating the portfolio is a necessary step for each and every manufacturer once every two years. We can easily see this process in the Nokia 2009 - 2010 plans, in Samsung's rebranding process, or even in the LG family. It is not necessary to change specs. The most important is to change the design making it more new and including the new brand's design. It is very likely to find average tech phones with new design, which are at its core older high tech phones.

By doing so, the manufacturers not only save important money (which in normal marketing strategy a completely redesigned core tech would cost extremely much in development), but they are also capable of releasing phones in a smaller time frame. The same goes for the Sony Ericsson, which is always releasing new phones in smaller lines with the seam specs found on higher model lines. A true example of this process is the Sony Ericsson C901. Believe it or not this C9xx phone delivers only a 5 megapixel digital camera.

Even so, the C901 still has some key features, beside the new upgraded Sony Ericsson design, to offer. Some of the key features included in the C901 are the LED and Xenon flash; cover lenses, extremely high connectivity, and Quad band GSM support. On the other extreme, in the main disadvantages department you will discover that C901 lacks document viewer, that its retail box content is somewhat disappointing, memory card slot under the back cover, and a small video recording resolution. If you don't mind this few disadvantages, and you are looking for a 5 megapixel camera phone then you should take a closer look at the Sony Ericsson C901. Because this phone is branded "C" you have to expect excellent image quality.

In rest, you might find the old looking Sony Ericsson mobile phones. With a height of 105 mm, wide of 45 mm, deep of 13 mm, the C901 weights about 107 grams. These values prove once again that Sony Ericsson always tries to deliver small factor phones, easy to carry around. As a Sony Ericsson phone, the C901 obviously sports a black matte plastic. As you can imagine this doesn't exactly improves the C901 design. Even more, you will probably be disappointed since the C901 is a fingerprint magnet, and is also very easy to scratch. In rest the design could have been better build. Sure, you get no flex, but you do get weird noises when you press the phone to much (the all plastic body cause such of disadvantage).


You can choose from three different available colors, Silver, Black, and Precious Peach. On the front side, above the screen you get the earpiece with the ambient light sensor right next to it. Below the display you can find the navigations keys. Sony Ericsson added about six control keys (with two soft keys, clear button, call key, end call key, and activity menu). Even more, you can find the four way directional keys (up, down, left, and right) with the Ok centered button. Unfortunately, all these keys have small sizes, making the usability not too great at all. If you get a sense of how to use them, then you will find good feedback buttons. Under the navigational keys, you get the alphanumerical buttons. Some off this buttons have at least two functions (used for special features in camera mode). The keypad is made out of plastic.


Even so, it is easy to use and the typing will not be a problem at all. On the left side of the C901, you can find the Sony Ericsson port (uncovered), while on the right side you get the dedicated camera keys, the volume controls, and the shutter key. On the top of the C901, Sony Ericsson included the battery cover lock. The back cover of the C901, sports the cover for the 5 megapixel camera with Cyber Shot logo. This cover is located on the upper top of the C901. Once slide it open you get the 5 megapixel camera lenses and the LED flash, and even more, the Xenon flash.

However there are too many logos on the back cover of C901, the Sony Ericsson logo, the Cyber Shot logo, and the 5.0 megapixel camera logo. The design lacks nice features because of the logo "traffic". Overall, Sony Ericsson delivers an average looking phone, for some a jewelry, and for others something rather boring. The design is, however, a matter of taste, while the build concerns anyone. The build quality is average, and you might need to accept some compromises if you are going to purchase this phone.


In terms of software, you are not going to find anything new, within the C901. Even so, the organizer, music player, calendar and web browsing are included and work just fine offering a good user experience. Sony Ericsson included in the C901 a 2.2 inches TFT display with a QVGA resolution (240 x 320 pixels). This TFT display will render about 256000 colors. Even more, the C901 includes an accelerometer sensor, for a better photo experience. The display offers sufficient brightness even under direct sunlight. You should have no problems with this display in any light conditions. The C901 runs in 2G network with GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 and in 3G network with HSDPA 900 / 2100.


The onboard memory value is about 110 MB, expandable with Micro Stick Micro memory card up to 8 GB value. The connectivity is well ensured in the C901. However, it lacks Wi-Fi. Even so, you get GPRS Class 10 (4+1 / 3+2 slots) with a vary speed form 32 Kb per second to 45 Kb per second, HSCSD, EDGE Class 10 with a maximum speed of 236.8 Kb per second, 2.0 USB connectivity, 2.0 Bluetooth with A2DP, and HSDPA with 3.6 MB per second. Also featured in the C901 is the 5 megapixel digital camera with 2592 x 1944 pixels, with auto focus, xenon flash and LED flash.

Because this is a Cyber Shot camera, you can easily find features like face and smile detection and geo tagging. The quality photos taken are remarkable. Even with only 5 megapixels the C901 can easily compete with other 8 megapixel phone thanks to the excellent lenses. This camera can also record videos.


However the quality of these videos is not high, with only QVGA resolution at 30 frames per second. Sony Ericsson included in the C901 a BST 33 Lithium Polymer battery with 950 mAh. This value battery will only provide about 430 hours of standby time, and about 9.5 hours of talk time in 2G network. For an average user all these values mean about three days of autonomy (however, depending on the usage you can even get five days of autonomy). In the shipping retail box, Sony Ericsson included beside the C901 unit and battery pack, a mandatory charger, one pair of headphones, user guide, and that is about all you will get. No CD software, no memory card included, no cable, no nothing (sad but true).


Overall, the C901 is not better than C902, not in design or specs. If you are looking for a Cyber Shot phone, then chose C902 (now even more because you can certainly find it with a smaller price tag). However, if you are interested in comparing the C901 with other manufacturer phones, then you should keep on moving. The C901 is the best 5 megapixel digital camera without touch screen, with an asking price of $350 - $400, on the market with no direct competitor, because Nokia 6700 classic and Nokia 6720 classic are not camera orientated phones.