Sony Ericsson S700i mobile phone

Sony Ericsson S700i is a tri-band cameraphone, and so is suitable for global roaming. This model looks like a digital camera from one perspective (when in its closed position), and it can be held and used horizontally like a proper camera. While still in its closed position this model can also be operated as a mobile phone, by making use of the few controls that are exposed on its surface, and by means of voice commands, which help to limit the number of keypad operations needed. When this handset is opened up, it then takes on an appearance like any other normal mobile phone, with an alphanumeric keypad being revealed - although this is only really needed when inputting text or for dialling a new number.

Sony Ericsson S700iThe S700i achieves this phone/camera double act by its clever rotator type design (the same approach as used on Motorola’s V80), which means that the phone is constructed in 2 halves, hinged at one end, and it is opened by rotating one half relative to the other. The camera can also be used in the half open (90 degree) position, and when the top half is fully opened, by rotating it through 180 degrees, it will click into place to present the user with complete access to the keypad and screen.

This is Sony Ericsson’s first megapixel cameraphone, and it is clearly a phone aimed at the top end of the market. As a top flight model this phone contains all the latest features that you might expect, among them being its Bluetooth™ wireless connectivity, GPRS and HSCSD data handling, WAP and CHTML browser, MMS multimedia messaging, video capture download and playback, video and audio streaming, Memory Stick Duo™ memory card slot, FM stereo radio, MP3 player, voice memo recorder, speakerphone for hands-free conversations, Java™ enabled, voice control (approximately 30 voice tags), and an e-mail client.

The thing that is striking about the S700i is its very large and colourful display, and this is about as good as it gets with the latest standard of mobile phone technology. The display is a TFT type of active matrix LCD, which has a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels (that is QVGA quality), and it offers a high standard of colour reproduction, being capable of up to 262,144 different colours. This screen is great for viewing pictures taken with the camera, and it also makes it easier to clearly see all the options on the icon driven menu system that the phone uses.

An integrated 1.3 megapixel camera is fitted into the S700i, and a choice of 4 picture sizes is offered to users: 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, 320 x 240, and 160 x 120 pixels. A lens cover is built into the case, which automatically activates the camera when you slide it open. Activating the camera also transforms the screen to the horizontal mode, so turning it into a large camera viewfinder. The lens cover serves the additional purpose of keeping the lens protected against dirt and scratches when it is not in use. You can expect better quality shots with this camera, noticeably superior to those taken with the standard VGA models that seem to predominate at the moment, and this should help to give your photographs a more acceptable appearance when printed or enlarged on a PC monitor.

An 8x digital zoom is available when you wish to enlarge sections of a photograph, and using burst mode you can take up to 4 pictures in rapid succession. Pictures may be edited, if you wish, using the photo editor, and it is also possible to add a frame to your photograph. There are 4 choices for white balance: Incandescent, Fluorescent, Daylight, and Cloudy. The camera also supports spot photometry, which allows you to adjust the exposure with reference to the centre of the picture’s subject, and therefore this gives a more acceptable photograph when the background might otherwise swamp the exposure. A night mode setting and a photo light are fitted to assist with photography in poor lighting conditions, and a timer and mirror will help when you take self-portraits.

The S700i contains a FM stereo radio, and this will prove to be a useful asset when you wish to listen to your favourite radio channels while you are travelling around. The radio has the benefit of auto-tuning, and up to 20 preset channels may be stored. To use the radio it is necessary to connect the hands-free headset, as the headset lead functions as the radio’s antenna. When listening to the sound output from the radio there is a choice of either doing so on the supplied stereo headset, or you can switch the sound through to the phone’s loudspeaker. An additional music feature is the integrated MP3 player, which is capable of the usual music machine operations such as the creation of playlists, random play selection, and an equaliser to adjust the treble and bass settings.

Not surprisingly, with the need to store pictures, videos, sounds and personal data on the phone, then memory capacity might become an issue. This phone has a large internal memory amounting to 32 MB of storage, but for those who like to take lots of photographs, or to carry around their entire MP3 collections, then there is a Memory Stick Duo™ card slot provided to enable you to expand the available memory when needed. A 32 MB Memory Stick Duo is supplied to get you started.

Multimedia messaging is a growing form of communication on mobile phones, and the S700i provides an MMS capability for the user to send and receive such messages, which may contain a combination of video clip, picture, sound and text. The quality of the video provided by this phone is as good as that from just about any other camcorder phone currently available, although at a maximum resolution of QCIF quality (176 x 144 pixels) this is bound to be limited. However, this video capture capability is probably good enough for those users who need a quick video clip of some event to show their friends, or to send in an MMS message. Video and audio streaming is another feature that makes this phone capable of offering the user access to live services containing such media material, for example the news or sports material offered by the WAP sites.

As on many other mobile phones, the S700i is capable of being personalised with different themes, wallpapers, screensavers and ringtones. Changing the content is an easy way to modify the look and sound of the phone, and new pictures and sounds can be readily downloaded over-the-air. You can even select personal ringtones and pictures to be used when particular callers contact you, and this helps to quickly identify them when the phone rings. This model also supports the PlayNow™ service, which allows you to listen to a ringtone before you decide whether you would like to download it.

The MusicDJ™ application is a useful feature for those who wish to create their own unique ringtones, and this allows you to compose and edit ringtones consisting of four tracks of Drums, Basses, Chords and Accents in a number of different musical styles. Each track may contain several building blocks, which are grouped into Intro, Verse, Chorus, and Break. After a little careful arranging, a melody can be composed by adding the music blocks to the tracks.

Being Java™ enabled means that you can use the S700i to run Java applications and games. There is a Hi Corp 3D gaming engine installed to get the best realism into your gaming action, and two games come preloaded: a tennis game and a darts game. You can download more games and applications when you want to use some new programs.

Fast data handling is provided in the S700i by its GPRS and HSCSD technology, which enables the user to benefit from an “always on” connection to the networks. Using the phone’s browser it is possible to access the Internet via WAP or HTTP, and to make use of the many information sources and online services that are currently available. An e-mail client is yet one more useful feature, and this enables you to access your e-mail correspondence while out and about; this phone supports the standard POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP protocols.

There is a good choice of options for connecting the phone to other devices. The S700i supports connections via Bluetooth™ wireless technology to other devices within a 10-metre range. It is also possible to use the phone’s infrared port to connect wirelessly by infrared to other compatible IrDA devices. The third alternative is to use a standard USB or RS232 data cable to link with other devices. Once connected, it is then a simple matter to synchronise your personal data and files with other devices, such as a PC or PDA. In addition, the phone supports remote synchronisation by SyncML and the Synchronisation Apple™ system.

A range of organiser functions is also included in the phone, and these consist of a calendar, tasks, notes, clock, alarms, timer, stopwatch, and a calculator. Other features of the S700i are its built-in T9™ predictive text input, a vibration alert, and support for vCard business cards. A setup wizard is provided to help you get the phone up and running quickly.

Sony Ericsson S700i mobile phone specification

Sony Ericsson product page

Manual and phone support

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Last updated 10th September 2009, 08:33 BST