Sony Ericsson S700i review

We weren't immediately enamoured of the S700i, as it's almost 50 per cent thicker than the popular T610. But it's a phone of two halves, literally. When closed, this 137g phone offers four function buttons, a directional button and an operation button. The absence of number keys isn't a problem - how often do you phone a number that's not in your phone book? Only texting fiends will tire of opening up the number pad.

The S700i's excellent screen makes menu navigation a breeze, but comes into its own in camera mode. The 1.3-megapixel sensor and integrated flash give the impression that compact cameras will soon be redundant. Add a couple more megapixels and they might well disappear altogether.

We were also impressed with MP3 playback. A Memory Stick Duo slot (32MB included) allows a decent capacity and the supplied headphones sound great, although note the proprietary connector. All files can be easily Bluetoothed around using Sony's QuickShare implementation.

Then there are 3D games. The bundled tennis game is genuinely addictive and reminiscent of console games of yesteryear.

However, it still smacks of interim technology. It won't be this phone that replaces cameras, MP3 players and game consoles, but rather its successor further down the line.