Ben
30th March 2005, 03:09 PM
http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=962
Only selected statements from the review are included here.
The V800 measures 102 x 49 x 24mm (HxWxD) and weighs in at a very reasonable 128g. As far as frequency support goes, the V800 is compatible with GSM 900, 1800 and 1900 networks of course theres also UMTS support for 3G networks. Sony Ericsson quotes a standby time of 240 hours and 10 hours talk time having used the phone for some time now, I can say that Ive been very happy with the battery life, especially considering the horror stories Ive heard about 3G handsets.
When you open the V800 the black fascia becomes silver, while the keypad is contrasted in black. The top half of the clamshell is dominated by the 176 x 220 pixel colour LCD screen. The screen is one of the best Ive seen on any mobile phone its bright and the colours are very vivid, while video playback is smooth and detailed.
Navigation is handled by a four-way rocker pad with a central button. Hitting the central button will bring up the main menu all the icons expand from a central point and the effect always impresses first time users. The features are comprehensive, and with the exception of a built-in FM radio, theres nothing missing.
Surrounding the navigation pad are four buttons, which work in the standard Sony Ericsson way. Unfortunately Vodafone has disabled the useful shortcut option on the top right button, and changed it to be a shortcut to the Vodafone Live! online service. To be fair, you can still access the useful shortcuts menu, by pressing up on the navigation pad from the home screen this gives you quick access to options like making the phone silent, alarms and turning on/off Bluetooth and IrDA.
The top left button is used to select options, as with most Sony Ericsson phones. The bottom left button is a very useful back button to jump back through menus pressing and holding it will jump all the way back to the home screen. Finally, at the bottom right youll find the cancel button. Sony Ericsson has also squeezed in another three shortcut buttons below the navigation pad. From left to right youve got buttons for video calls, main menu and music/video playback.
On the left side of the phone are volume buttons, while on the right is a shortcut to the integrated 1.3megapixel camera, as well as a button to turn on the very bright LED light. With the phone closed theres an external colour screen, which displays time, date, signal strength and battery life. Of course it will also display the caller ID, but unfortunately it wont display a photo of the caller if youve set that feature up.
Verdict
Id really like to give the V800 a Recommended award because, quite simply, its the best mobile phone Ive used to date. Unfortunately, the sky high purchase price and the not insignificant cost of the 3G services make this phone an unattainable Holy Grail for the majority of mobile technology addicts. You can probably find the V800 cheaper if you shop around some of the online mobile phone suppliers, but my advice would be to wait a few months and snap this phone up when the price drops.
Only selected statements from the review are included here.
The V800 measures 102 x 49 x 24mm (HxWxD) and weighs in at a very reasonable 128g. As far as frequency support goes, the V800 is compatible with GSM 900, 1800 and 1900 networks of course theres also UMTS support for 3G networks. Sony Ericsson quotes a standby time of 240 hours and 10 hours talk time having used the phone for some time now, I can say that Ive been very happy with the battery life, especially considering the horror stories Ive heard about 3G handsets.
When you open the V800 the black fascia becomes silver, while the keypad is contrasted in black. The top half of the clamshell is dominated by the 176 x 220 pixel colour LCD screen. The screen is one of the best Ive seen on any mobile phone its bright and the colours are very vivid, while video playback is smooth and detailed.
Navigation is handled by a four-way rocker pad with a central button. Hitting the central button will bring up the main menu all the icons expand from a central point and the effect always impresses first time users. The features are comprehensive, and with the exception of a built-in FM radio, theres nothing missing.
Surrounding the navigation pad are four buttons, which work in the standard Sony Ericsson way. Unfortunately Vodafone has disabled the useful shortcut option on the top right button, and changed it to be a shortcut to the Vodafone Live! online service. To be fair, you can still access the useful shortcuts menu, by pressing up on the navigation pad from the home screen this gives you quick access to options like making the phone silent, alarms and turning on/off Bluetooth and IrDA.
The top left button is used to select options, as with most Sony Ericsson phones. The bottom left button is a very useful back button to jump back through menus pressing and holding it will jump all the way back to the home screen. Finally, at the bottom right youll find the cancel button. Sony Ericsson has also squeezed in another three shortcut buttons below the navigation pad. From left to right youve got buttons for video calls, main menu and music/video playback.
On the left side of the phone are volume buttons, while on the right is a shortcut to the integrated 1.3megapixel camera, as well as a button to turn on the very bright LED light. With the phone closed theres an external colour screen, which displays time, date, signal strength and battery life. Of course it will also display the caller ID, but unfortunately it wont display a photo of the caller if youve set that feature up.
Verdict
Id really like to give the V800 a Recommended award because, quite simply, its the best mobile phone Ive used to date. Unfortunately, the sky high purchase price and the not insignificant cost of the 3G services make this phone an unattainable Holy Grail for the majority of mobile technology addicts. You can probably find the V800 cheaper if you shop around some of the online mobile phone suppliers, but my advice would be to wait a few months and snap this phone up when the price drops.