Sony Ericsson C905 Review

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Announced in June 2008 and available since November, the C905 is the first phone from the Japan-Sweden joint venture to have a camera of 8,000,000 pixels. Only Samsung (who’s Innov8) and LG also offer optical resolution of such date.

It is also the first non-Smartphone device that has Wi-Fi connectivity for Sony Ericsson. Currently sold between 420 and 500 €, the C905 does have the wherewithal to compete?

A neat appearance but strong plastic

The hull of the C905 is covered with a thin layer of "rubber", which gives effect "peach skin" common on the terminals of the mark, according to color. Nevertheless, the entire hull is made of plastic here, except to protect the camera, and the hull part of the Samsung Innov8 foil will therefore feel better when the two units are side by side.

The aesthetics of the terminal is relatively straightforward to the brand and its Cybershot range. The various function keys are identical that offer the latest models in the range and are comfortable to use, just like keyboard keys despite spaced.

We reproach, however, the failings of the apparatus of the mark: The connection is still the owner, and no control audio / video 3.5 mm is present on the device. You will always take your cables and adapters if you want to connect your device to a PC or if you want to plug your headphones. Moreover, this connector is located on the left side of the unit, which makes its handling extremely uncomfortable when used, and causes unexpected disconnections when the device is in pocket for example.

In terms of accessories in the box, we find: battery, USB cable, video cable, a 1GB memory card, a set of headphones in-ear and the various manuals and CDs. Note that the capacity of the memory card does not allow a clear benefit to 100% capacity of the device, given the weight of pictures produced by the camera in particular. In comparison, mobile competitors (the price is higher or equal to 450 €) usually offer at least 8GB of memory origin.

Great shots

The main advantage of this terminal is of course a camera that benefits from the latest refinements in date: face recognition, image stabilizer, red eye reduction,...
Unlike Samsung, Sony Ericsson has the good idea of integrating a xenon flash camera phone in its premium. The quality of shots, especially in totally dark rooms, will be incomparably better than the Innov8 example.
In addition, a second flash-based LED is also present and it may be used for video. It is however unfortunate that the resolution of the latter has still limited: only 320 * 240 pixels.

Even if the quality of images produced is in the top of camera phones, the difference with a Nokia N82 (one of the best camera phone market) is far from obvious.

A very complete multimedia device

Although this unit is not part of the Walkman range, its audio performance does not pale either. The C905 has the now widespread media player brand, derived from the PSP and the PlayStation 3. The presentation of the audio player and strongly resembles musical terminals of the firm, and audio capabilities are also in height. The supplied headphones home to help this feeling, even though the W980i was perhaps a bit more powerful on this point.

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A full connectivity but sometimes inefficient

The C905 is one of the few units of the firm that has a Wi-Fi connection, ideal for easing your phone bill to surf from your terminal for example. Despite ease of use yours (it connects to the access point when it is available), the scope is too limited clearly disadvantageous compared to some competitors.
Regarding the connection GSM/3G, no criticism, however: The hook system is exemplary, and the sound quality during calls was not faulted.
A quick word on the GPS to complete: C905 includes a GPS antenna and Way finder. The latter, although effective, seems less and less friendly than Nokia Maps or TomTom Navigator, and still requires a functional connection DATA, given the failure to save the maps on a memory card.



What we liked:

• Performance photo
• Media player of quality
• Finishing quality
• Sign GSM/3G robust

What we regret:

• Low range of WiFi
• Connection owner and misplaced
• Limited opportunities for software extension

Conclusion
What about this unit after a few days of testing? Compared to the competition, the C905 seems to have as much interest as his camera, which is perhaps the best at present to the world of telephony. Its performance in other areas and its potential for software extension will however tip the balance toward complete Smartphone like the Nokia N85 or Samsung Innov8, sold only a few Euros more expensive, better equipped and accessories.
Still, the user interface provides clear menus and easy to use, which is far from commonplace in the terminals as complete.

Note also that some bugs just ruin the use of the terminal, but a major update of the device should come fix it all in a few weeks.