Compare and Buy The Best Sony Ericsson K850i Contract Deals

 
3G Camera Phones Come Of Age

When it first came out, the Sony Ericsson K800i was the first model to have the Cyber-shot facility on it, which allowed mobile phone users picture quality on par with standard digital cameras. There have been a few models since then but it’s taken until now, with the K850i, for Ericsson to have really made a worthwhile successor.

Using the same technology behind its older predecessor, the Sony Ericsson K850i is taking on the likes of Nokia’s N95, by coming with a 5.0mega-pixel camera. Although there are other mobile phones that have this resolution now, the K850i has a few tricks up its sleeve to help it stand out from the rest of the 3G crowd.

One of these is the ability to use a slider switch now to move between picture taking and playback. This new feature is so useful that you wonder why more manufacturers don’t use it. Complementing this is the new automatic lens cover, which comes into play when the camera isn’t in use. Although this is a great idea, there is the slight drawback that the cover has a protective plastic layer over it, and this can result in smudges and dirt being left on its surface.

 
 
A more useful feature comes with the battery and memory card access. Instead of having separate little compartments that you have to access via a rubber flap or similar, both are reached via a sliding door that opens out. If you have a digital camera, you’ll be familiar with how this works, but for a mobile phone, it’s a neat little trick with practical use as well.

One of the things that Sony Ericsson are consistent with is in the design of their phone menus, which can be more useful than you’d think when it comes to upgrading your phone. Instead of having to get used to new layouts, where folders have changed, etc, the K850i keeps the same menu layout as its predecessors and makes it all the easier to start using immediately.

One feature on the menu that has had a bit of a revamp is when it comes to your multimedia files. Instead of the older “access one at a time” style, the new set-up has taken inspiration from Sony’s handheld PSP gaming unit. Much like a settings menu on a TV, all your options are represented at one side of the screen, and you use the cursor to take you into the next section by simply clicking right on your D-pad.

Much like all of the handsets in Sony Ericsson’s mobile phone range, the K850i is no slouch when it comes to media files. All the usual suspects are here – FM radio, MP3/AAC support, DJ facility to mix both audio and video files, and a whole host of other features you’ve come to expect from Sony Ericsson.

With 9 hours talk time and a standby of almost 400 hours, as well as 40MB of internal memory that can be upgraded via a Memory Stick or a Micro SD card, the K850i offers users a worthwhile successor to the K800i.

You might also be interested in: the cheapest Sony Ericsson W580i contract offers and the lowest price Sony Ericsson mobile phone deals