Labs

Prepay mobile phones

Sony Ericsson K800i [Computer Shopper]
COMPANY: Sony Ericsson	PRICE: Ł72inc VAT
RATING:	ISSUE: 242 DATE: Feb 08

The K800i was the first 3-megapixel camera phone we'd seen when we reviewed it in Shopper 226. It received a Best Buy award, and has since become good value on prepay as it nears the end of its life.

The K800i looks slightly dated compared with Sony Ericsson's K770i and Samsung's D900i, but it's still a smart-looking phone. Its display is superb, and its high-resolution colour



ADVERTISEMENT

menus run smoothly. The keypad is a little crowded, though, and the number keys are wobbly. Its design isn't as neat as that of the other 3-megapixel camera phones in the group. The lens is mounted in a bulge on the back of the phone, so the handset is fairly fat, and the cover sometimes slides open in your pocket, exposing the lens to dust.

The K800i's camera is very impressive. Daytime shots looked sharper than the K770i's and were on a par with the Samsung D900i's clear shots. The K800i's trump card is its flash, though. Instead of an LED, it has a proper Xenon flash such as you'd find on a digital camera. This makes it possible to take photos in pitch black.

The K800i shares the K770i's comprehensive standard suite of applications and easy PC synchronisation, as well as a fairly powerful web browser. Samsung's D900i is slimmer and better looking, but if you're after a versatile camera and a good web browser, snap up a K800i before they all sell out.

By Chris Finnamore

SPECIFICATIONS:
GSM 900/1800/1900 3G 2100, GPRS, 3G data, 2.2in 240x320-resolution main display, 2-megapixel camera, 20MB internal memory, Bluetooth, USB connectivity