Sony Ericsson T68i

Ericsson's T68, while attractive, was far from perfect. However, its small size and colour screen proved tempting enough to lift its sales to a comparatively successful level. So much so that the injection of cash resulting from the Sony Ericsson dual-branding deal has spurned a re-release in the form of the 'special edition' T68i.

Sony has left the excellent build and design of the original largely untouched, with the notable exception of the screen's viewing quality. Whereas the T68m's screen (without backlight on) required straight-on viewing in good lighting conditions, we had no such concerns with the T68i's, which is clearer.

Above and beyond the improved screen are subtle, yet highly effective, GUI enhancements that aid in navigation immeasurably. The PC-like icons are given more identifiable imagery with a better choice of contrasting colours. The hierarchy in menu levels has also been addressed, lifting the priority of more regularly used functions, such as 'post note' for memo keeping, to just one shortcut key away.

As a selling point, Sony Ericsson appears to be focusing on the T68i's claim to being the first phone to market with support for MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services). Unlike EMS (Enhanced Messaging Services) and Nokia's proprietary messages with pictures, it promises support across all networks.

The real benefit of MMS is unclear, although there are serious applications being touted as well as the entertainment aspect. However jaded the initial views of MMS may be, it remains to be seen what the more functional PDA/mobile phones will make of the service.

Some other enhancements such as to the phone book appear to just be a way of justifying the expensive colour screen - for example, attaching colour pictures. More useful, though, is the upgrade to WAP 2, adding colour support, although currently none of WAP's general content has adopted this new standard.

GPRS connectivity is improved too, thanks to the addition of one extra download slot. This speeds up browsing noticeably, and we downloaded a plethora of colour backgrounds and sparkling melodies with times close to a 56K dial-up modem. That said, the added frivolities have an adverse affect on the T68i's general performance, with more sluggish application loads.

Usefully, WAP and email setup can be done manually or through an automatic online service. After entering a few details, a message is sent to your phone, which configures it for browsing or reading POP 3 or IMAP 4 email.

Bluetooth connectivity is as good as the T68m, and after installing the modem driver a wirelessly connected notebook was able to achieve full GPRS download speeds of 57.6Kbits/sec - a killer business feature.

The Sony Ericsson T68i is a vast improvement on the T68m and will undoubtedly be a major force in the emerging colour phone arena. Nokia's forthcoming 7210 has almost identical features, although the addition of an FM tuner may turn away business users. For now, though, the T68i will serve the road warrior extremely well in all endeavours, and you may even find yourself having fun in the process.

Sony Ericsson user guides, reviews, FAQs and downloads at Know Your Mobile

Author: Ian Robson