Sony Ericsson K800i

The Sony Ericsson K800i is as much digital camera as mobile phone. A stunning 3.2 Mega Pixel Cyber-shot camera complete with video/image stabiliser function and built-in xenon flash take some extremely professional photos. With the BestPic feature every photo takes 4 images and allows you to pick the very best. Share your pictures using Bluetooth or send them over the 3G network.

Our Sony Ericsson K800i Review

Thoroughly deserving its Cybershot branding the Sony Ericsson K800i is without doubt one of the best camera phones of the year. The black version of the K800i has a soft touch jet black matt finish casing which looks very stylish and is as durable as any other phone we have tested. A James Bond edition silver version is also available for a limited time only.

Despite all the high tech features the handset it still relatively compact at 105 x 47 x 22 mm and 115 grams. Although the weight is more than other phones in this price bracket it does give the phone a very solid and tough feel and no doubt the metal casing protects the camera and lens from any damage.

The camera is a class leading 3.2 megapixel model with 16x digital zoom and a large crisp and clear 262k TFT colour screen. By far the most advanced feature on the camera is the auto focus. Superior to most digital cameras this means that you simply cannot fail to take the perfect shot. Combine the auto focus with the automatic Xenon flash and you can take crystal clear pictures in any location. The flash has an anti red eye feature and infra red light sensor to help it adapt to the conditions and provide just the right amount of light. A slide open lens cover on the back of the phone reveals the lens and protects it from dust and dirt.

A useful BestPic feature takes a series of 9 shots when you press the shutter (4 shots immediately prior the shutter and 4 shots afterwards) and allows you to select the best picture to save. This is invaluable when taking shots of a moving object as it the automatic image stabilisation software than virtually eliminates blurry photos.

Thanks to the 3G capability the camera can also be used for live video calling and video streaming. Make sure you choose a contact with video calling included if this is of interest to you. The 3G features also make internet browsing much faster than on a standard phone and the web browser can access websites that other phones are unable to read. Another feature that is only recently being included in mobile phones is the RS Feed Reader. Subscribe to your favourite news feeds from sites such as the BBC and the headlines can be viewed at any time from inside the “messages” menu.

As you would expect from a phone of this type the K800i includes Bluetooth and a USB connection. Where the K800i is particularly impressive is in its adoption of the Pictbridge standard for easy photo printing. Simply plug the phone into a Pictbridge printer and you can print directly without using a PC.

Another innovative feature is the photo blogging support. A few clicks from within the photo album menu and you can upload your pictures to an internet blog for publishing to your friends and family.

Although more of a camera phone than music phone the media player with Mega Bass gives great sound quality on MP3s and features an advanced FM radio with RDS technology to display the name of the station on the screen when you tune in. A MusicDJ program allows you to edit tunes and ring tones without relying on a PC.

As you would expect the K800i includes SMS, MMS and Java games. The 3D gaming on the Java games is far better than on most other models thanks to the size and resolution of the colour screen. An instant messaging chat service allows you to have a live conversation and is as close to MSN Messenger as you can get on a mobile phone.