Sony Ericsson K500i mobile phone

Sony Ericsson K500i is a tri-band cameraphone suitable for worldwide use in most countries, and it comes in the neat candy bar format that we now associate with this manufacturer. As with other recent models, Sony Ericsson have continued their theme of a handset that appears to be a phone on one side and a digital camera on the other side, and in the case of the K500i it comes in a choice of two colour alternatives: “Virtual Silver” or “Cosmetic Blue”.

Sony Ericsson K500iThere are many advanced features included in this mobile 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 display in this model is 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 K500i has an integrated camera, with the lens being built into the back cover of the phone. One useful addition is the lens cover, often not supplied 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 both portrait or landscape format, and 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 camera becomes a great asset when using the K500i’s MMS capability, as it helps the user to put together multimedia messages, which may contain 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 an e-mail. 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 for 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.

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 K500i 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 K500i 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 content when you want to try a different style, and you might even choose to use sounds you record with the voice memo recorder as ringtones. This phone also has the capability to access the Sony Ericsson PlayNow™ ringtone service, where users can pre-listen to ringtones before downloading them to the phone. 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.

An important feature of this phone is that it has 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. To start you off, the phone comes preloaded with a 3D version of the game “Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow” from Gameloft. 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 K500i 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 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. There is a dedicated Internet key on the phone to take you straight to your favourite mobile portal, and you can then gain access to new pictures, sounds, news, games and more. 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 K500i 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 a user to exchange other files and data between the two devices, including pictures, video clips, and sounds. Remote synchronisation via SyncML is another option that is supported.

There several standard organiser features included with the phone, such as a calendar, tasks, notes, clock, alarms, timer, stopwatch, and a calculator. This phone also supports the exchange of business cards. As with most phones these days, there are some features that have become fairly standard items, including the setting of ringtones linked to particular callers, a vibrating alert, and T9™ predictive text input.

Sony Ericsson K500i cameraphone specification

Sony Ericsson product page

Manual and phone support

Sony Ericsson K500i FAQs
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Last updated 30th January 2008, 14:39 GMT