Sony Ericsson K700 review: A winner

Sony Ericsson top-class products regularly achieve the best score in our mobile chart, which our editorial team compiles on the benchmark basis. Starting with the R520 model, over T68, T610 and T630, up to the new Sony Ericsson K700: all these mobiles took first place. But though in the past they had a pretty nice distance from the second mobile in the top-list, nowadays they're quite even. Nokia 6230 (2nd in the top-list) is only by one percent behind Sony Ericsson.

Click on the thumbnails for full resolution pictures.

   
Official pictures of Sony Ericsson K700

Sony Ericsson K700 is a top-class mobile phone. S700, the higher-class model will come on the market in the autumn, but currently there are only two smarter phones available. The producer introduced K700 this March.

  
Our pictures of Sony Ericsson K700

The controversial point is whether K700 is a successor of the contemporary highest model T630 or not. Personally, I am inclined to the first possibility. K700 derives from the Sony Ericsson T630 mobile phone, bringing at the same time new features and functions to life. The starting price is about the early price of T630. Undoubtedly, Sony Ericsson will continue to prepare better phones, but nowadays K700 is the reasonable successor of the previous top-class phones.

Sony Ericsson T630

Sony Ericsson T610

Sony Ericsson T68i

The K700 predecessors

 

The first question from our readers should be raised here. In the review we use only the simplified name K700, though users have maybe seen K700i mobile somewhere and K700c mobile elsewhere… We simplify, but our intentions are good. In Europe you can meet only the international K700 model and the "c" version has been designed specially for China. It has different key printmaking, different fast messaging dictionary and less memory due to the Chinese language support, most likely. So, when we write about the K700 mobile phone in the review, we mean the K700i model.

As appearing from the number of review readers, Sony Ericsson K700 is one of the most expected mobiles this year. We have noticed also a strong interest towards the Nokia 6230 mobile phone and we expect that Siemens S65 will be attractive as well.

Reasonably Small

Comparing to other mobile phones Sony Ericsson K700 is small (99 x 46 x 19 mm) and lightweight (93g), but we can't say that it is "very small" and "very light". Here you can find a table with the comparison of K700 and other phones of the same class.

Phone	Size	Volume	Weight
Sony Ericsson K700	99 Χ 46 Χ 19 mm	93 cm3	93 g
Sony Ericsson T630	102 Χ 43 Χ 17 mm	75 cm3	93 g
Nokia 6230	103 Χ 44 Χ 20 mm	97 cm3	97 g
Siemens S65	109 Χ 48 Χ 18 mm	94 cm3	98 g
Motorola V600	88 Χ 48 Χ 24 mm	101 cm3	116 g

 
Comparing phone size with a credit card

I have a very good feeling about the phone in my hand. It seems perfectly solid, maybe because there are no replaceable covers. The only moving part is the rear battery cover, which has strongly constricted long guiding slats along with other pressing components that work before closure. These rubber rollers might abrade by frequent pushing, so I recommend you to manipulate the cover as little as possible. Anyway, Sony Ericsson K700 is a shining example of an expensive top-class handset.

 

  
The phone appears to be very solid at a glimpse; and that's for real • long track for the rear cover guarantees the solid construction further

Unlike to the elegant, but not really practical black surface of the previous models, the new Sony Ericsson K700 is a kind of jagged. The components are made of different matte silver plastics and only the middle part is black, so no fingerprints remain on the phone, except the on display surface. Whilst Sony Ericsson preferred European style earlier, their latest pieces are of Japanese angular and technical design, which I like a lot. Personally, I appreciate design changes very much. Of course, you could back up another opinion.

From its front view the phone looks like a rectangle with round edges. But from its sides it is a trapezoid - like a small coffin. Owing to the beveled side part the mobile fits well in hand. Edges of all parts, which put K700 together, are precisely connected.

  

View from all angles

Excellent display

The display underwent the most visible change. It was very good by the last Sony Ericsson T630, now it's even better. It displays 65k colors, is active again, but with much higher resolution. More pixels are displayed on display's width than it was on display's height by the previous model. Look at the table below, where similar phones are compared:

Phone	Display size	Display resolution	Density
Sony Ericsson K700	29 Χ 36 mm	176 Χ 220	3 709 pixels/cm2
Sony Ericsson T630	28 Χ 35 mm	128 Χ 160	2 090 pixels/cm2
Nokia 6230	27 Χ 27 mm	128 Χ 128	2 247 pixels/cm2
Siemens S65	31 Χ 42 mm	132 Χ 176	1 784 pixels/cm2
Motorola V600	30 Χ 38 mm	176 Χ 220	3 396 pixels/cm2

Sony Ericsson's K700 doesn't have the largest display but features the finest image. There is no visible parting grid on the high quality display. I would compare the K700 display only with those of Motorola in the same class. Other brands feature either low resolution or their displays are small in size.

Display is large, with a high resolution

Unfortunately, I haven't got Sony Ericsson T630 available to compare both displays. The new one seems a bit brighter to me. It's not really useful on direct sunlight, but the image is sufficient if you turn the display in the right angle.

It's not possible to adjust settings of the display brightness or contrast. The only feature you could choose is a type of illumination: Off, On, Automatic (preset saver appears after some time) or Eco mode (display turns off after a while). The phone doesn't respond to joystick commands when the saver is active or the display is Off. To return settings you should press some other key. In the first phase the saver shows a set picture, could be also animated, and after a while a digital clock appears.

Japanese keypad

Numerical keys are rectangle of shape and organized in a strict matrix. They're made of hard plastic and the feeling by pressing them is solid and sure. My only grape is a slight move of the keys in vertical direction. The whole block is moved downwards quite a bit - the only way to squeeze a large display and a keypad in small mobile phones.

  
Hard and precise keys of the numerical keypad

The main control of the phone occurs trough the joystick: it's moving in four directions and is pressed for choice confirmation. Before testing it, I have worked with the a bit tighter four-directional button of Nokia 7610 and Siemens M65, so I found Sony Ericsson's joystick almost unusable. Finally, I've got used to it, but I can't keep from typing errors on and off. The joystick is not raising much over the phone surface, but its sensitivity makes it up. It's truly steady and precise and didn't skip once. According to the service menu test, the joystick can differentiate also diagonal directions, hence it's nine-directional. But I was not able to find a function allowing this feature.

 
The joystick is not raising much over the surface but it's sensitive enough

Fortunately, the joystick isn't set for default to WAP browser. You could assign by yourself, which functions will start by moving the joystick to different directions. When assigning, you can select the desired function direct from the usual menu. Sometimes the phone doesn't allow you to pick up a function; I would better appreciate a common list of functions, not to wait for the phone's offer. Hopefully, the phones sold by mobile operators will keep this possibility for function assignment to the individual directions of the joystick.

Strong white keypad illumination • notice the ring, consisting of the wallpaper on the display, function keys shape and lines under the part of the numeric keypad

While the numeric keys are transparent, the four function keys around the display are made of milk-white plastic. As in the past, no designated keys for call functions are available. Two function keys, correction key and "one level back" key do the entire job. You need to get used to this way of control.

Typing on Sony Ericsson K700 is comfortable. Keys are large enough, even for bigger fingers; they're also very well distinguishable by shape. The only small problem should be with the last row of keys, which is quite low-lying. Typing could be heard even if the sound is switched off; the keys simply click.

Keypad is locked either manually, by pressing star key and right function key, or by selecting the automatic lock function in the menu. Automatic lock gets active after 20 seconds, which is a pretty short time.

Around the phone

The only components on the front side of the phone are keypad and display, except a speaker slot, hidden in the upper edge and a QuickShare label in the bottom part of the phone. Instead of a plastic bubble I would rather expect something like a sign etched on a metal label. As I understand it, operator's logos should go there, so the label must be removable.

 
Edge with the speaker • QuickShare plastic label

There is a rock switch on the left side of the phone. It controls the volume, in photo mode it's used for exposure compensation setting, you can use it also by incoming call to silence the ringing and reject the call - set busy tone. If you press this button when the phone is in standby mode, phone informations are displayed. Sony Ericsson abandoned information about battery life; you will find only a date, ringing profile and free memory space (in kilobytes). Holding the round button on the left side activates the digital camera, after which the button works as a release.

 
Rock switch and camera control button on the left side

On the right side of the phone there is a small button that starts the WAP browser. It's embedded, so the users won't press it by mistake. Even if this happens a page from the memory cache gets opened, the phone is not trying to connect.

Right side with the WAP access button

Only the main switch is on the upper side - you have to hold it a bit longer to switch on/off the mobile. You will find the hidden infrared port somewhere in the shiny black stripe. There is no system control LED that would report different states. So you could see the information about missed call or incoming message only on the display. You will notice that often when display illumination is switched off. However, in case of a missed call or message, relevant icons appear just beside the digital clock on the display.

Infrared port

In the bottom part of the phone are situated the data port and the charger connector, protected - for the first time in Sony Ericsson history - by a removable small rubber cover. It's attached to the mobile, but this solution is not really good. The cover looks quite unsuitable, after you connect the headphones. Under the battery cover, there is an eyelet for a neck string.

You almost won't be able to see the connector • it's hidden behind the removable cover • and that's the way the cover looks after you connect the headphones

 

The rear side of the phone is dominated by the lens system of the integrated digital camera, so it might seem like there is a 4 megapixel digital camera available and not just a camera featuring 640 x 480 pixel resolution. You will find there a small mirror for self-portraits, a light diode for lighting up a scene, connector for an external antenna, protected by a small rubber plug and a loudspeaker slot as well.

No, it's really a standard camera phone • diodes • loudspeaker slot

The battery cover looks like a piece of metal, but it's a plastic one with a Sony Ericsson sign and logo in the bottom part. The Li-Ion battery has capacity of 700 mAh. SIM card slides in the grooves and is quite easy removable. Notice that, there is a square block above it. According to rumors, there shall be a place for a memory card in the next model, which I doubt. Sony Ericsson will certainly come with a phone equipped with a memory card, but that is not enough space for a card.

Rear cover • view at the battery • SIM card placement

I can have only official data about the battery life: up to 300 hours in standby mode or up to 300 minutes of normal use. Charging takes hour and a half. The phone is not warning you enough about battery low status. It tries several beeps, then makes a heartbreaking raspy sound and switches off.

Integrated camera: fake megapixel

Sony tapers its production of cheap digital cameras, because they believe that camera phones are going to replace them soon. Sony Ericsson K700 is the first handset produced in accordance with the "two side" marketing conception: mobile phone on one side and camera on the opposite. This has some advantages too. When you take pictures, it's possible to hold the phone in a horizontal position as a usual camera. Finger fits right on the release and with the rock switch you could control the exposure compensation. Less practical is the fact that you have to rotate the pictures if you don't feel like turning the whole handset. Of course, it's possible to snap pictures, holding the phone in one hand, just by pressing the joystick.

Can't do it this way… You should hold the phone with both hands otherwise it loses balance

Although the build-in camera features only 640 x 480 pixel resolution, it's possible to take pictures even in 1 280 x 960 pixel resolution. However, this format is interpolation only and you will surely notice that Sony Ericsson K700 is not a megapixel camera phones.

Digital camera environment • context menu

Nevertheless, it is out of question that pictures snapped in standard resolution are very good; K700 has one of the best VGA cameras. Besides the computed and standard resolution you could choose two more, offering two different levels of pictures quality. By resolution of 640 x 480 pixels the phone saves pictures for 3 seconds, and by chosen megapixel format, it takes 8 seconds. Owing to effects presented you could make black&white, negative or sepia pictures as well as images with solar effects. You can also complement your pictures with different funny frames.

Pictures resolution setting • funny frames

I don't recommend using night mode; scenes are a bit brighter but too bleary. Better turn the lighting diode on. You can use digital zoom with the lowest resolution available: level one or two.

Lighting diode in action • the light is bright; compare the scene in dark environment and after Sony Ericsson's diode lighting (we made these pictures with a normal camera)

One unique function of this camera phone is panorama. You shoot three connected pictures and the phone puts them together in a single panoramic image. For easier picture aligning a part of the previous picture is displayed.

Panoramic photo

Camera photos

Three basic resolutions

  
Standard 640 x 480 format and the same scene by interpolated resolution • details are missing with the "megapixel" resolution

 
The same scene with higher and lower picture quality

Exposure compensation • shooting from a short distance

Effects: black&white, negative, sepia, solar effect

 
Digital zoom: middle resolution in the first row, low in the second

 

Photo in dusk: standard setting • night mode • with lighting • night mode with lighting

 
Some frames

How will the camera manage small fonts? Pictures are made with different exposure settings

 
 
 More photos

Comparing pictures: Nokia 7610 vs. Sony Ericsson K700

Let's turn back to the interpolated resolution that makes K700 a "megapixel" camera phone. I snapped the same scene with Nokia 7610, which boasts a real megapixel chip integrated. None of the pictures is perfect but Nokia gets more details still.

 
Sony Ericsson K700

 
Nokia 7610

 

Mobile phone as a camcorder

Sony Ericsson K700 supports video shooting capability by a really low resolution - either 176 x 144 or 128 x 96 pixels. You can set whether you want to make a MMS suitable or limited just by free memory video. Digital zoom and exposure compensation are also available and there are the same effects as with camera (except the frames).

 Video player

Videos are made in 3GP format, which is compatible with most of the advanced handsets. The quality is traditionally poor but it's good enough for the phone display. Have a look at two demos:

• Higher resolution (155 kB)
• Lower resolution (119 kB)

Too much and too little memory

The question about the Sony Ericsson K700 memory was not clear for a long time. Producer claimed official memory of 32 MB, but soon afterwards it has been heard that only a small part of it will be available. However, Sony Ericsson K700 has finally almost 41 MB of memory. This capacity includes also the items, which you get from the producer in the basic set. They exceed 2 MB and you can delete them from the memory.

 Memory data

Forty megabytes means really a lot and it's quite a record among the usual mobiles. In the early 90's this capacity was usual for PC hard drives. What shall users do with such a capacity? It's not enough for playing MP3 files - you need a memory card for that - and it's too big for saving pictures. From my point of view, forty megabytes of memory in K700 is needless, of course if Sony Ericsson doesn't consider the phone as a portable memory medium.

File manager is used for orientation in multimedia files. Folders are sorted by type: pictures, sounds, video files, schemes, games, applications, etc. Their content is displayed in a text list form; usually it's possible to run through the items. An exception is the picture folder where you have graphic views (four per display). It works very slowly with photos; you have to wait two or three seconds until it is reading next page. Here I'd appreciate the possibility to set a text list.

 
File manager folders • item list

You can view images in full-display mode; the phone features also presentation function for slide show. Unfortunately, zoom-in and detail view are not supported.

It's possible to exchange photos via MMS or e-mail and send them to a PC via infrared port or Bluetooth. It's a pity, but you won't be able to send more pictures at once. The K700 mobile phone allows you to choose more files at once, but you can only delete or move them to another folder, not to send together. With Bluetooth you can take advantage of a new function called Remote screen. It is used primary for picture projection to a Bluetooth enabled TV but it works also with a PC or another Bluetooth device.
Update 27 Dec, 2004: The Remote Control function in bluetooth menu is quite easy to use actually, it's a Bluetooth Dev HID for mouse and keyboard. If you install Windows XP Service Pack 2 that comes with Bluetooth support the Remote Control function is automatically activated while connecting to the PC. When the mobile is detected by the computer, it adds Bluetooth modem and HID device on the system and you get a prompt on the phone to activate the remote. (Thanks to Salman Aziz Khan)

Picture gallery • photo folder • full-display picture • presentation mode

New user environment

Graphical interface changes are not essential and if you don't know the older Sony Ericsson models well you would hardly recognize them. The most visible change is maybe the presence of some new icons in the main menu. These are drawn very nice - spatial, with shades, and animated - chosen icons blows up by moving through the matrix (which is possible only vertically or horizontally, not diagonally).

Sony Ericsson K700 uses also graphic themes. There are some of them available in the basic set and more of them are to be downloaded. An interesting new feature is wallpaper animation. It looks spectacularly; for example, illuminated blocks in black or twinkling lights in a green theme. Changing graphics takes only five seconds and is quite fast. Unfortunately, themes from previous models are not compatible with Sony Ericsson K700.

Integrated graphic themes

Installation of bookmarks to next menu levels is also an important change. You can witness this change in settings menu and in the phone book. In order to avoid one long list of items, these are divided into horizontal bookmarks, so you can browse them by using the right/left arrow. This saves space, which can be used for other information.

  
Bookmarks in the settings • bookmarks in the phone book (notice a very small font) • setting of an alarm can be seen right after highlighting the row

As mentioned above, it's possible to assign functions to all four basic directions of the joystick. Now have a look how it works:

Assigning functions to the joystick • during the setting a menu appears, where you confirm the function you are willing to assign

 

Changes concern also the phone book representation, which I am describing in the Telephony part of this review. A setting wizard appears the first time you run the phone: it helps you to set time, date and tells you about the correction and cancel key functions.

 Wizard page

The phone doesn't allow you font size changes. You can select bigger or smaller font size only when writing text messages, but that's typical feature for messages, not for editor font setting. Standard font size is well readable, except perhaps with SMS and WAP browser, where it is very thin.

Control of phone is logical; keys have the same functions everywhere. Sony Ericsson K700 is quite fast mobile, except perhabs viewing the photo gallery, where long time is needed to generate a view. However K700 is not reaching the speed of Nokia 6230, I recognize a small reactions delay here.

 
Context menu is available from the main display

Telephony: very small phonebook

It might seem that I am praising Sony Ericsson K700 up to here. However, now we are approaching telephony functions, the most significant reason to select a mobile phone, and we are about to discover features, which deserve strong critics.

Mainly, it's the phone book capacity. We have forty megabytes of memory available, and the phone book could contain only 510 items. Items, not names, so if you have five phone numbers under one name, it takes five items in the directory. I don't understand why Sony Ericsson hasn't developed the phone book. This problem drags on for years and pages have been written about it. Synchronization with phone works only partially, because five hundred items can't contain much information. It's a shame and the reason why I wouldn't buy Sony Ericsson K700. Otherwise it's an excellent handset. The phone has perfect sound: as in the receiver, as by using a loud handsfree. It's plangent, rich, bass, loud enough… It's a pleasure to hear it.

Typing a phone number • dialing a number

You reach the phone book by moving the joystick downwards. Neither the phone book capacity, nor the way of search has changed - you can search only by first character.
Update 27 Dec, 2004: With the new firmware version you can search the phonebook by multiple characters.
One innovation is related to the phone book. If you pick up any name in the list, a new row with a phone number beside the name is shown. By moving the joystick to the left and to the right you can go through all numbers and e-mail addresses assigned to a name. By pressing the joystick you start a call or to write a new email or MMS.

 
Phone number appears directly with a name in the phone book. If there are more than one, you can select by moving the joystick.

Because every contact detail is split into bookmarks, the representation is really good. It's possible to assign up to five phone numbers to each name: mobile, home, work, fax and other. You can't insert e.g. two mobile numbers. There's a space for e-mail and web address, title, company, street, city, district, ZIP code and country. You can also insert a text comment.

   
Contact details

You can add a picture or a photo to a name, which will appear on the display with incoming and outgoing calls. It's also possible to distinguish persons by individual ringing tones and assign tags for voice dialing to individual numbers. Sony Ericsson supports caller groups as well, but it's not possible to filter calls by caller group - it's intended only for multiple SMS sending.

   
Adding a picture to a name • outgoing call • incoming call (here without a picture)

Still, the phone offers some way of filtering: there is a function, which could be set not to allow numbers that are not in your phone book to reach you.

 
You can create caller groups • ringing profiles

It's possible to record a call in progress; it's the second item in the context menu, available by pressing the joystick.

Synchronization can be used only for a small directory

Data synchronization with a PC is another phone book related feature. The application you use is called Sync Station and you'll either get it on a CD or download it from the Internet. Beside phone book, it's possible to synchronize also a calendar, tasks and notes. Only Microsoft Outlook could be the opposite side but for phone book synchronization you can use Windows Address Book as well. By synchronization it transfers phone numbers, Internet and web address, title, company and address, also text notes get to the phone. Some fields in the directory are very short; for example the "Title" field can contain only 15 characters, 50 characters for the "Note" field. In this regard, data is reduced by synchronization. Well, that's not a big deal. Bigger problem is the phone book capacity because five hundred items will get lost.

I didn't catch how synchronization program selects, which names to be transferred to the phone and which to get lost. I don't see any sense; positively it's not by alphabetic order. Unfortunately, it's not possible to set what to synchronize - e. g. to select that only mobile phones numbers should be transferred.

Messaging

Sony Ericsson K700 supports SMS, EMS and MMS; it features also e-mail browser and My friends function, designed for instant messaging.

 Messaging menu

T9 dictionary helps with message writing and K700 supports also fast writing with the side rock switch button. When you hold its upper part, the second letter is written directly on the button, when you hold the bottom part, the third letter is written. This way of writing is well known from the former Ericsson models and is often faster than T9.

SMS writing • incoming text message at the display (this information switches with name or phone number of a sender) • reading a message

Text messages editor didn't change a lot; it displays five rows at once, in comparison with four rows by former models. Keypad is satisfactory, writes without delays - hence SMS writing is comfortable. Many users are curious about how complicated is to select a recipient name from the phone book and they'll surely appreciate that it is working faster now. If I have written an SMS and I want to send it, I:

• press function key Continue
• now I can immediately see a list of persons and numbers whom I've recently sent an SMS; I can just pick one of them, or select Search contact item to reach the phone book, where I can find the number and confirm my choice with the joystick.
• In both cases I continue by pressing Send and it's done.

Characters are not count down from the beginning of the message, but before the end of every part. It's possible to save about hundred text messages, as I have found by testing; there is no counter direct in the phone.

Three ways of displaying the incoming text messages: in brief form • with message header • with date and time

Besides text, Multimedia messages can contain random number of pictures, sounds and video files. The only limit is total size of inserted files, which can't exceed 100kB. MMS settings is quite complicated, I recommend you to use the configuration utility on Sony Ericsson website.

 Multimedia message

 

Email with attachments

The integrated email browser is a bit different from the clients featured in previous Sony Ericsson models. Some of the changes are more significant than others are. Via K700 you can access up to ten email boxes, but there is no possibility for SMTP verification anymore. The available browser is interconnected with remote email account, so deleted items on the mobile will be deleted from the server with next connection as well.

 
As with text messages, in email overview you can choose among different ways of representation

A really essential change is the support of attachments: you can send a picture, a ringing tone or any other file format via email; even if it's not supported by K700, it can be saved in the memory or forwarded, which is another innovation. But I experienced difficulties when sending TXT format attachments.

email with attachment • You can preview the pictures or save them

The maximum size of a written message has been increased to thousand of characters. Comparing to other e-mail mobiles that's nothing special - but it's three times more than former Sony Ericsson mobiles.

Music: it's a pity there is no memory card

Sony Ericsson phones, except Symbian models didn't ever match with music. They haven't got integrated radios and couldn't play MP3 files. K700 breaks this barrier, however we have to wait for the next version to get fully multimedia capable mobile phone. K700 is sold only with stereo headphones for standard Sony Ericsson phones connector.

You'll get these headphones with the phone

I'll start with the MP3 player, because it'll be shorter. The phone doesn't support memory cards and even if you can load couple of songs into forty megabytes, that doesn't make K700 a competitor to regular MP3 players. Files are loaded into memory via cable, infrared port or Bluetooth and it's not possible to use a memory card reader.

It's a pity because Sony Ericsson K700 plays MP3 with a very good sound quality. In addition, it's possible to use an equalizer to adjust the sound. Player is very simple, from advanced functions it only has pause playing, it's not possible to browse songs forwards or backwards.

MP3 files and ringing tones are mixed in the player • detail of a played song • equalizer

The integrated radio is also one of the innovations in Sony Ericsson phones. You will need headphones that work as an antenna to run it; otherwise you can't turn the radio on. It's possible to tune frequencies from 87.5 up to 108.0 MHz - you can either tune it manually by tenths of megahertz or automatically: holding the joystick goes to the nearest tunable station. Besides, it's possible to direct enter a frequency. Unfortunately, you can save your favorite stations in the memory only as a frequency number. It's not possible to assign them a name. Receiving is quite satisfactory, I'd say that the equipped with radio Nokia phones are more sensitive to antenna location.

Tuned frequency is graphically displayed on a scale • radio context menu

Music can be listened through the headphones or from the loudspeaker. It's possible to minimize players and work with the phone in a usual way. Radio songs can't be recorded, playing stops when you start the voice recorder.

The voice recorder is very simple. You just start it and it records, then you stop it and it saves the record. Record length is probably depending on the free memory only. The phone doesn't display remaining time and filling up forty megabytes is an eight hours test.

Ringing: MP3 - no problem

Ringing tones with K700 are set in profiles. You can use a MID or MP3 file, a record from the voice recorder can be set as a ringing tone as well. MP3 files, when set as a ringing tone, sound immediately, even when quite big. Sound is hellishly loud, so you can't miss a call. There are 23 sounds and melodies available in the memory. Owing to the MusicDJ application users can compile multiple sounds ringing tone.

MusicDJ

Choice of message alert tones is poorer then of ringing tones. You can select six pre-defined sounds, click or no sound. It's not possible to extend this selection anyhow.

Organizer

For time management Sony Ericsson K700 brings you a calendar, task organizer, notes and an alarm clock. Actually, there are two alarms: regular and repetitive, where besides time, it's possible to set weekdays to be alarmed on. You can also choose a sound for the alarms.

Organizer functions menu • alarms • setting the days of repetitive alarm

Calendar takes advantage of the fine display. Events basic view is monthly, but you can get a weekly view from the context menu, while daily view is accessible from both previous views. In daily view events are sorted like a text list.

Monthly, weekly and daily view in the calendar

Calendar won't ask you for the item type by inserting a new record. You need just to enter event date and time of beginning, pick up duration from the offered options or insert end date and time. You can add a subject as an event label, fill in place of appointment and set a reminder).

Entering events into the calendar

Still the problem with the calendar, as known from former Sony Ericsson phones, remains open. Events can be set with a repetition; repetition is transferred to synchronization, but this can't be modified on the phone. Considering the images in economical view and small font size at monthly and weekly view, I find the striking font size in daily view quite embarrassing. Because of event time it can't be seen the event itself (you should wait a bit until the part, which didn't fit the row is shown).

Event detail • repetition is transferred to synchronization • event time is space-consuming

 

There's nothing new about tasks. For new item entry, you select between task and call, enter a subject or a phone number (it's possible to pick it up from the phonebook) and add a reminder if you wish. You can tick off completed tasks.

Tasks overview • task detail • selection between two types of items

Notes are synchronized with Microsoft Outlook, same as calendar and tasks. The K700 model can handle only six notes (let me remind you its 40MB of memory again). You can place a note on the main display to remind you to do something, which undoubtedly is a very useful feature.

Notes overview and a detail of one of them

The organizer also includes a simple calculator. It ignores calculation priorities but has memory. Countdown timer and stopwatch don't deserve further description but Code memo, secret password memory is an interesting feature. It's protected by a code that you should remember in order to entry secret data. You can access it even if you have entered the code incorrectly, but letters are shuffled passwords become useless. To verify that you really get correct passwords instead of nonsensical jumble of words, there is a control word. It's displayed after login and if it is the same as the word you've first inserted, everything's alright.

Calculator • countdown timer • stopwatch • Code memo

Let's have fun

Sony Ericsson made a clean brake with the Mophun game platform and is now concentrating on Java only. This type of Java supports Mascot Capsule Engine Micro3d Edition, which is a 3D technology. You can see its possibilities in the integrated game Super Real Tennis, which looks very interesting. Controlling characters through the joystick seems quite sensitive to me. You need to gain knowledge of the game first. You can play single games, join a tournament and increase your skills gradually.

The game is very smooth

Another demonstration of 3D technologies is Darts. A point is running with high speed on a dartboard and when it crosses the bull's eye or a segment you want to hit, you should press the joystick. Problem is that the point is moving really fast. RiverRiders game is well known. As a water sportsman you have to drive as fast as possible through a selected river: Colorado, Yangtze or Omo. Beware of logs, stones and malicious whirls in the river.

In jBenchmarktests, which measure Java graphical capabilities in mobile phones, Sony Ericsson K700 reached following results:

• jBenchmark 1.0: result 2 567
• jBenchmark 2.0: result 124

In both cases values are very good. Sony Ericsson is not the fastest Java phone but comparing to its forerunners it takes a big step forward.

Internet with K700

For mobile Internet connection Sony Ericsson K700 features GPRS class 10 (4+2 timeslots), circuit switched data and HSCSD as well. PC connection runs via Bluetooth, infrared port or cable (must be additionally bought). K700 supports all possible Bluetooth profiles. You can find the complete list on this web page. There is a Remote control item in the menu, which should somehow help controlling PowerPoint or music player in a PC. User's guide is silent about this functionality. I was not able to run it.
Update 27 Dec, 2004: The Remote Control function in bluetooth menu is quite easy to use actually, it's a Bluetooth Dev HID for mouse and keyboard. If you install Windows XP Service Pack 2 that comes with Bluetooth support the Remote Control function is automatically activated while connecting to the PC. When the mobile is detected by the computer, it adds Bluetooth modem and HID device on the system and you get a prompt on the phone to activate the remote. (Thanks to Salman Aziz Khan)

Bluetooth menu

WAP browser displays also web pages. As you can see from the pictures, I took a look at MobilMania text version and even opened the Google search engine. Browser is not designed for serious work, but good enough to look at web sites text versions. It's very fast and remembers visited addresses.

WAP browser main page (offline) • two times MobilMania WAP

Mobilmania text version • browser supports pictures as well • Google

Data profile settings in Sony Ericsson K700 are not really simple. Well, it's not simple with any phone, which supports WAP and TCP/IP connection at a time. Connection is set on more than one place and you need to know what to do. Sony Ericsson offers on its website a tool for WAP and MMS setting.

Data accounts at the phone

 

Really the best mobile?

Sony Ericsson K700 is equipped, elegant, solid … surely an attractive phone. It has reached first position by total of points, got by editorial comparative method. Only one percent divides K700 from the second phone, Nokia 6230. That's right, K700 is really a phone loaded with functions.

But what's convenient to the comparative method is not necessarily convenient to the user. Sony Ericsson K700 failed in just two essential functions: it has a small phone book with a very slow search function. What is 40 MB of memory or 3D game support used for, when the main functions are not working satisfactory?

Perhaps I am too hard on the phone. After all, previous models T610/T630 were bestsellers, users are happy with them and the new K700 mobile works absolutely the same way. So I stay with the verdict that it's one of the best-equipped mobile phones nowadays. Maybe few people won't be really satisfied with it.

Pros and cons

+ Communication possibilities
+ Enough memory
+ Integrated radio
+ Solid construction
+ Perfect display

- Low phone book capacity
- Lot of memory, but what for?
- Memory card would be nice