Sony Ericsson K850

Sony Ericsson K850

There was a time when the Sony Ericsson K800 was the camera phone on everybody's wish list. With its three mega pixel camera and a host of other features, the K800 was the handset to beat and top for many. But with the advent of five mega pixel cameras like Nokia's N95, which proved to be a very popular model amongst the cell phone and gadget aficionados alike, and the competition for the high end consumer market getting stiffer, Sony Ericsson decided to go with the flow and released the Sony Ericsson K850.

It is replacing the popular line of Cyber-shots it seems, and it is apparent though that the K850 took from the Cyber-shot when it comes to its form and function. This design was already started with the K810 and is now greatly improved upon; giving the consumers the style and function they need in the busy urban jungle.

Sony Ericsson K850 Camera and Display

As mentioned earlier, to be able to compete and probably get ahead in the cell phone consumer war, the developers over at Sony Ericsson designed the K850. It is a 5 mega pixel camera phone capable of capturing photos at a maximum resolution of 2592 х 1944 pixels and record video at 30 frames per second QVGA. That video frame rate standard is a lot more than most handsets offering only 15 frames per second.

Of course picture editing software is present for the user to be able to enhance or embellish the already excellent photos taken with the K850's lens, which has auto focus, unlike other models currently in offering. And just like with the previous "K" series phones, you can expect a lot of the Cyber-shot devices integrated with the K850. For example, the left software key to launch the options menu to choose the best mode for your shots like panorama, normal, night mode and frames is still present. With that key the user can also set the resolution, self timer, white balance and the ISO. And brushing upon the subject of the K850's ISO, the settings resemble that of real digital cameras with options like: Auto, 100, 200, and 400. Aside from these, there is also an Edit submenu which hosts other settings that any given user would rarely tweak. At the side of the handset you will also find the now already familiar three way switch to choose between camera, camcorder and playback, just like on digital cameras.

With regards to the K850's video capabilities, Sony Ericsson greatly improved with this handset and can now capture videos in 320 x 320 pixel QVGA resolution at thirty frames per second. Although not up to par with Nokia's N95 which has the better VGA resolution, still the K850's QVGA works like a charm and is sufficient for most users, especially for uploading or streaming videos over the internet.

The 2.2 inch display of the K850 though is a treat to view pictures or even videos with as a lot of details can still be seen thanks to its 240 x 320 pixel resolution. Although still small compared to the N95's 2.6 inch display screen, the one on the K850 will be more than enough for those upgrading from the usual under 2 inches of other models.

Sony Ericsson K850 Design and Accessories

With regards to the Sony Ericsson K850's design, a lot of consumers will be pleased. It definitely looks stylish and would fit a wide range of personalities, whether you be the suit-wearing business type, the active young urban professional, or the individual with an artistic flair. The integration of the camera into the phone looks rather seamless that it looks as though you are holding either a digital camera or a cell phone, depending on the angle the handset is viewed. Of course the green and silver Sony Ericsson logo looks trendy and elegant against the glossy black casing of the K850. The phone looks especially high tech when turning on, with the glowing red button on the top of the phone and the blue light around the lens.

The elegant accent is extended on the face of the phone, with the green strip around the navigation pad for its easy location. This is because the navigation keys are integrated with the alphanumerical keypad of the K850. In this case, the form preceded the function as this integration makes it rather difficult to operate. To give you a more visual description, to save space and make up for more screen size while maintaining a compact design, the number 2 and 5 on the alphanumerical keypad is integrated with the navigation pad itself as opposed to giving the navigation pad its own space. This is strange as most users complain that navigation keys are almost always situated too near the number two key that integrating it would only render it worse. And it really takes a lot of getting used to.

Summary of Sony Ericsson K850 Features

• Weight: 118 g
• Width: 48 mm
• Height: 102 mm
• Thickness: 17 mm
• Network: 2G – GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G – HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
• Screen Resolution: 2.2 inches TFT Screen, 256 Colors, 240 x 320 pixels
• Data: GPRS Class 10 (4 + 1/3 + 2 slots), 32 – 48 kbps
• Connectivity: EDGE, HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP ,USB v2.0
• Web Browser: WAP 2.0/HTML (NetFront), RSS reader
• Music: MP3 / AAC / MPEG4 player, FM radio with RDS
• Camera: 5 MP, 2592х1944 pixels, autofocus, video(QVGA@30fps), xenon flash and 3LED video light, auto lens cover, secondary video call camera
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
• Expansion Slot: Memory Stick Micro (M2) / microSD, 512 MB card included
• Tones: ----
• Software Features: Java MIDP 2.0
• Other Features: Motion sensor (with UI auto-rotate) TrackID music recognition, T9 Organiser, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo/dial
• Battery: Standard battery, Li-Po 930 mAh (BST-38), Up to 400 hours Stand-by and Up to 9 hours talk time

PROS: The 5 mega pixel camera works like a charm and the video resolution offers more detail than most camera phones. The integration of the camera to the phone is seamless, giving this handset the feel of a cell phone “and” real digital camera, rather than being a phone “with” a camera.

CONS: Probably the most common gripe with this phone would be the placement of the navigation pad. Although it looks really clean with the end result having less button clutter, the payback is in the usage which makes navigating through the K850's menu rather hard.

Overall: Taking into considerations all of the Sony Ericsson K850's pros and cons though, it is overall a great tool to have and the bad can easily be overlooked when considering all the great features.