Sony Ericsson C905 review

The Sony Ericsson C905 is the latest in the Cybershot range and another addition to the fast growing range of 8 mega-pixel mobiles out on the market. So how does the c905 set itself aside from its competition?

The Sony Ericsson C905

The C905 certainly looks the part on paper with the inclusion of the 8 mega-pixel camera, Wi-fi and a host of other features which are designed to give you the all round mobile experience.

What’s in the box?

Head over and have a look at Matt’s Sony Ericsson C905 unboxing video for the full run down of what’s included.

Sony Ericsson C905 specification:

• Size
  – 104 x 49 x 18 mm
  – 4.1 x 1.9 x 0.7 inches
• Weight
  – 136 g
  – 4.8 oz
• Screen
  – 262,144-colour TFT QVGA
  – 240×320 pixel
  – Auto-Rotate
• Memory
  – 160 MB Phone Memory
  – Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) support – 2GB card in the box
• Networks
  – EDGE  – GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900
  – HSDPA – UMTS 850, UMTS 2100
• •Camera
  – 8.1 megapixel camera
  – Xenon flash
  – Auto focus Face detection
  – Smart contrast
  – Image stabilizer
  – Red-eye reduction
• Music
  – Album art
  – Media Player
  – Music tones
  – PlayNow™
  – TrackID™
• Internet
  – RSS feeds
  – NetFront™ Web browser
• Connectivity
  – Bluetooth™
  – WiFi™
• Messaging
  – Email
  – Exchange ActiveSync®
  – MMS (Multimedia Messaging)
  – Predictive text input
  – SMS long (Text Messaging)
  – Sound recorder

General

Being a slider the C905 is more similar in style to the walkman series of mobiles as appose to the Cybershots that have come before it. The Phone is light in the hand and feels fairly solid and well built however as with many sliders they do tend to feel slightly more fragile than candy bar style devices.

The phone has a matt silver finish and unlike some of the other 8 mega-pixel mobiles out there it still looks like a phone not a compact digital camera, something I personally I like because despite the camera quality it is still very much a Phone with a camera rather than the other way around.

The Front of the phone when closed is home to a number of buttons first of all there Is a four way directional control with a single central selection button, surrounding this you have your call control buttons a few quick launch keys for accessing contacts, messages etc. a cancel key Is also located on the front of the device, at the top of the phone above the receiver are two soft keys for quickly accessing your photo album and double up as mode control when the phone is In camera mode.

When opened the phone reveals a standard numeric keyboard with reasonably spaced keys with no problems with big thumb syndrome.

Sony Ericsson C905 open

The left hand side of the Mobile houses the M2 card slot and also the proprietary connector for the phones charger, headphones and also for USB sharing with a PC.

Sony Ericsson C905 left side

On the right are the phones camera controls, from left to right there is 2 way button for checking the phones status battery life etc. also used for multimedia volume control and for operating the cameras zoom function. There is then playback button for quick access to your photos and videos. A button for switching between photo and video mode is next and finally the shutter button for capturing your shots.

Sony Ericsson C905 right side

The back of the C905 will be a familiar site to Cybershot users. The sliding lens cover which when opened launches the phones camera function. As well as the lens there is also a phone light and the all important xeon flash which has been lacking from other mobiles of a similar spec.

Sony Ericsson C905 back view

Highlights & Lowlights
+ 8.1 mega-pixel Camera
+ Wi-fi
+Xeon flash
– Large proprietary connector

Review

The Sony Ericsson arrives full of promise and for the most part seems to match it however the phone does come unstuck when trying to compete with other phones of things such as styling and features.

First of all let me say having had limited experience with the cyber shot series with regards to hands on day to use, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the device was to use the menus are clear and to the point with nothing fancy to take your time, the functionality and connectivity of the c905 is first class with Wi-fi, 3G and GPS included allowing you to be connected whenever you need. It also includes PictBridge which is great for getting your photos quickly and with minimal fuss. For a phone of this price some of the features feel a little primitive with little WOW factor on the other hand some of them certainly do have that WOW factor leaving the phone with a middle of the road feeling with obvious improvements that could be made however it does manage to distinguish itself in the ever expanding high end high spec camera phone market.

Making calls with the phone either voice or video is simple and I had no problems with muffled sound although the receiver was not the loudest or I have experienced it was not something that had a great effect on calls as it was not a huge problem just something to say as a comparison to other phones.

Although not sold on its multimedia capabilities the c905 does not disappoint with regards to playing back your favourite tracks transferring is remarkably simple either via Bluetooth, USB or the fantastic M2 USB Adapter all included. The phone comes with a 2GB memory card however support have M2 card support if you wish to increase capacity.

The phones camera as I’m sure you are of by now is a superb 8.1 mega-pixel auto focus with a selection of functions and modes for improving picture and video quality. The camera is simple to use activating it by simply sliding the lens cover and you are ready to go. The features included allow for things such as facial recognition, image stabilisation, red eye reduction, smart contrast which makes capturing photos in lowlight heavy sunlight situations that bit easier. Another area in which the c905 really manages to distance itself from its competitors is through the inclusion of a xeon flash which really does improve your images over those captured using an LED flash. Image quality is very good although the phones screen is not the best for playback once transferred to a PC the pictures soon come to life, they are clear and crisp however as with other phones with these 8 mega-pixel cameras they just don’t match a dedicated digital compact. The phone is also capable of capturing video with image stabilisation and make use of the phones camera light.

The phone claims to have around 540mins talk time and 380hrs standby which is perfectly acceptable although obviously these times will change depending on what you are using the phone, if you were using the phone for heavy photography uses than expect the battery life to be reduced however will still offer you a reasonable level of battery. Other features such as games and a few fun tools such as Photo DJ and Music DJ which will keep you busy on those tedious bus journeys. An FM radio is also included, another feature that will keep you busy is the phones browser which is of a decent standard is not ideal on the phones relatively small screen in comparison of other devices.

Conclusion 

In conclusion the Sony Ericsson c905 is certainly an impressive phone in more ways than one the trusted and established name of the cybershot cameras instantly gives the c905 an advantage over competitors however it does not quite challenge a dedicated digital compact. The phones media features are also a great addition with an included 2GB M2 card allowing for you to start transferring your tracks to your mobile straight out of the box.

The c905 would make the perfect mobile for students as it brings together a great combination of multimedia and photographic excellence, this combined with great connectivity leaves with lighter pockets and allows you to take great photos with great features wherever and whenever the moment takes.

Review by: Nick

[ Post Tags: Sony Ericsson, C905, Cyber-shot, tracyandmatt.co.uk, 8 Megapixel, mobile phone ]