Sony Ericsson F500i mobile phone

Sony Ericsson F500i is a tri-band cameraphone that can be used for global roaming in most parts of the world, and it is an attractively styled candy bar phone with a finish called “Digital Silver”. This model is sold exclusively through Vodafone and Vodafone partner network operators. As with several of Sony Ericsson’s recent models, the F500i continues the theme of a handset design that appears to be a mobile phone on one side and a digital camera on the other side.

Sony Ericsson F500iThere are many advanced features included in this phone, some of the most important being its integrated GPRS and HSCSD data handling capability, a WAP 2.0 browser, MMS multimedia messaging, MPEG4 video and MP3 audio players, video and audio streaming, video recording playback and download, voice memo recorder, speakerphone for hands-free conversations, Java™ enabled, voice control (for up to 30 voice tag command words), and a full e-mail client.

The F500i has an active matrix TFT type of LCD screen with a resolution of 128 x 160 pixels, and this display has the capability of reproducing up to 65,536 different colours. The bright screen provides the user with a good window to view all the pictures and videos that this phone can display, and it also acts as the screen you use when playing games or making selections from the animated icon-based menu system.

The F500i has an integrated camera, with the lens being built into the back cover of the phone. One useful addition is the lens cover, often omitted in camera phones, which should help to protect the lens from scratches as well as to help keep it clean. There is a choice of taking pictures in either portrait or landscape format, although you can rotate pictures that you wish to use in a different orientation. Four picture sizes are possible: Extended (1280 x 960 pixels), Large (640 x 480 pixels), Medium (320 x 240 pixels), and Small (160 x 120 pixels). Other useful camera features are the 4x digital zoom, adjustable exposure level, and a night mode for taking pictures in poor lighting conditions. There is even the possibility to edit pictures, which gives the user the chance to add frames and other photo effects. The camera is also capable of shooting short video sequences, and for these clips you may choose from the two sizes of format: 176 x 144 or 128 x 96 pixels. A mirror and timer are provided to help with the taking of self-portraits.

The built-in camera enables the user to make full use of the F500i’s MMS capability, as it allows you to put together multimedia messages containing a combination of images, sounds, video clips and text. You can exchange multimedia messages with other MMS compatible phones, or alternatively you might prefer to send your pictures and other message items as attachments via e-mails. Pictures taken with the phone’s camera can also be used for creating your own wallpapers, or you might take shots of your friends and use them as ID photographs in your picture phonebook. This phone includes Sony Ericsson’s QuickShare™ system, which speeds up the process of taking and sending video and pictures in messages. Access to Vodafone live! also allows you to store pictures in a Web-based album, which can be useful when you are running out of phone memory, or when you wish to share your pictures with friends in a virtual album on the Web.

A capability to record and playback video and audio are features frequently seen in recent mobile phones, and despite the limitations of picture quality and the large memory capacity required there are benefits to be had from having these video and sound capabilities in a handset. The user has the option to record their own videos, or to download video and audio clips to play on the phone, but the F500i has the additional feature of built-in technology to make use of live video and audio streaming. Streaming enables you to take advantage of the many entertainment sources available, as well as turning the phone into a media player to keep you in touch with the latest news and sports highlights. Many phone users want to enjoy music on the move, and with its built-in MP3 player this phone provides a mobile music source for enjoying your favourite tracks when you travel around. This MP3 player also includes the usual facilities you would expect in a dedicated music machine, such as an equaliser, playlists and random track play.

The F500i may be personalised to the user’s own taste by changing the wallpapers, screensavers, and ringtones. A number of “Themes” - sets of coordinated colours and wallpapers for the screen - come preloaded, but this does not stop you downloading more Themes from Vodafone live! when you want to try a different style, and you might even choose to use sounds you record with the phone’s voice memo recorder as ringtones. For the more adventurous, there are the resources to create and edit your own MIDI ringtones with the built-in MusicDJ™ application, which provides all the tools you need to produce a melody from four tracks: drums, basses, chords and accents. It is easy to create a new ringtone using the pre-arranged blocks of sounds, which are grouped into “Intro”, “Verse”, “Chorus”, and “Break” types of music.

An important feature of this phone is its Java™ capability, which provides the user with the opportunity to run a wide range of Java software titles, including 3D games and many useful application programs. Several games and applications come preloaded, but more games and applications may be downloaded and stored in the phone when you wish to add some new entertainment, or you need additional tools to help you at home or in the office.

With its integrated GPRS and HSCSD technology the F500i gives the user fast and easy access to the services offered by the networks, and this has the added benefit of supplying the user with an “always on” connection. The other useful onboard technology is the WAP browser, which provides the means to access the mobile Internet, so that you can make use the many services available from the WAP sites. The phone also has a dedicated button to access the Vodafone live! services, and you can then gain access to new pictures, sounds, news, games and more. One of the useful services offered by Vodafone live! is the chance to have a message - consisting of a picture of your choosing and text - delivered as a postcard to a street address.

The e-mail facility is another valuable feature, which will be appreciated by those who need to stay in touch with their e-mail correspondence while away from home or office, and the phone’s e-mail client supports the standard protocols of POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP.

For connectivity the F500i has a choice of options available: either you may use a wireless link to other compatible IrDA devices via the phone’s infrared port, or alternatively you could connect a USB data cable to the phone’s connector to link up with a PC or PDA. When you have established a connection between your phone and a compatible device, you are then able to synchronise personal data, such as the entries in your calendar, phonebook and notes. Of course, a connection between the phone and a PC also enables the user to exchange other files and data between the two devices, including pictures, video clips, and sounds. You can back up and synchronise your phonebook contacts at the Vodafone live! portal. Remote synchronisation via SyncML is another option that is supported.

There are several standard organiser features included with the phone, such as a calendar, tasks, notes, clock, alarms, timer, stopwatch, and calculator, and a further bonus is the phone’s support for the exchange of business cards. As with most models these days, there are some features that have become fairly standard items, including the choice of ringtones linked to particular callers, a vibrating alert, and T9™ predictive text input.

Sony Ericsson F500i cameraphone specification

Sony Ericsson product page

Manual and phone support

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Last updated 30th January 2008, 14:39 GMT