Sony Ericsson K790i

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Sony Ericsson K790i

Frazier Barretto, Oct 30, 2006 1900 hrs IST

Riding on the waves of the previous success, Sony Ericsson released the K790i, which is truly a feature packed piece.

Classy design, Large screen, 3.2 MP CyberShot, Xenon flash, Great camera function, Smooth and easy Interface, Bluetooth v2.0, A2DP support, Good connectivity options, Expandable memory.

Slightly bulky, Bit cramped Net Browser and Function hotkeys, QCIF video (176 x 144).

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Build and Design

For the starters, K790i is a very sturdy handset. The feel of the phone is pretty solid; it doesn't make creaky sounds even when you hold it firmly. The phone's dimensions are a little larger than the K750i; hence, it weighs just a little over the 100 grams mark. The dimensions of the phone stand at 105 x 47 x 22 mm and it weighs 115 grams. The phone when held doesn't feel even a bit heavy because of the perfect weight distribution though it does feel a little bulky carrying around.

The bigger size of this phone helps find space for a whole 2-inch screen, which is simply brilliant. The screen is a 256K TFT with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. Below the screen is the joystick and a similar layout of main operational keys just like the K610. The joystick of the phone is even better than the ones seen in previous Sony Ericssons. The joysticks have improved over the years right from the K700i, which had many drawbacks.

Like the K610, the Net Browser and Function hotkeys found in the main operational keys area are a bit too cramped. There is always a good chance that you would press either the button above or below them while trying to press any of the two. The rest of the layout of the phone is similar to that of the good old K750i just for a few changes. Here, the Infra-red port is placed on the right side towards the end below the Camera button. The hand strap provision of the phone is at the bottom beside the multi-usage port. The memory slot has been taken higher and now in line with the position of the camera lens. The memory card slot has a dust cover which is unlike the one seen in the K750i; this dust cover is a bit unconventional when swapping the memory card.

Other than the above mentioned layout, there are two extra buttons above the screen on both ends which are solely for the camera; these two buttons provide options and functionality that we will discuss while having a detailed look at the camera.

The K790i has a great finish; the whole body is made with a mix of plastic and rubber giving you a firm grip of the phone no matter how you hold it. It's something that is being seen in many phones; thanks to MotoPEBL that was the first to come with the innovation, the pioneers in design.

The keypad of the phone is neat; although when you look at the phone, it feels like the keypad is picked from Nokia's 3230. This has a much better feel; just right, not too big neither too thin. The keypad has a purple backlighting. Now, though the color may seem odd, it is nothing gaudy; in fact, it is quite cool.