After the Walkman phones (W800i, W810i, W550i and W900i) gained great popularity, Sony Ericsson began producing devices aimed at lovers of a good camera. The main function of the Sony Ericsson K800i mobile phone is its 3.2 megapixel camera complete with autofocus and a real xenon flash, which at one time was considered a record in quality and design.
But do not focus too much on the camera. In this device, there are many other possibilities for the user, from support services and video calls to 3G FM radio, high level music playback, funny ringtones and a good calendar application.
Design
The Sony Ericsson K800i is decorated in light gray tones. Unlike other similar models with pink, blue, green or orange color options, this device is present only in one form. Vivid colors can be attractive, of course, but for those who don't like too much attention, the muffled tone of the K800i case is more appropriate.
Neat and modest coloring complements the small size and weight of the phone. With dimensions of 105 x 47 x 22 mm and a weight of 115 grams, Sony Ericsson K800i fits perfectly in a small pocket of any clothing.
Control
Like other phones from Sony Ericsson, the K800i relies on a mini-joystick for navigation. Speaking about the predecessors of this device, in particular the K750i model, it was worth noting that the joystick was not particularly well designed. Everything has changed this time: now this control is flexible and easy to use. Four control points contained in the joystick are responsible for playing music and other functions in applications. They can be configured for application shortcuts, while clicking on the middle takes you to the main menu.
The joystick is surrounded by several keys: two SoftMenu keys, a delete, redo button, two very tiny keys that control actions in a web browser, and a menu button that brings up another set of shortcuts.
In fact, there are two cameras in this phone. The front one is for video calls, and its lens is integrated into the speaker grill. It is so small that if you are not looking carefully, you will not notice it. However, it works well during video calls, as the reviews on Sony Ericsson K800i say.
Adjustment Elements
The main attraction of the gadget is a 3.2-megapixel camera, which, as one would expect from progressive technology for its time, has a lens cap. This is a small but significant bonus: when you lift it, opening the lens, the front screen by 240 x 320 pixels turns into a viewfinder.
Every good camera phone needs a side button for control. This device has one on the lower right edge, so you can hold the Sony Ericsson Cyber Shot K800i sideways (like a professional camera) when shooting. The remaining buttons on this side are the controls and the camera zoom controller.
On the left side of the device there is a play / stop button to control the music. When you hold the Sony Ericsson K800i and tilt it to the side to take photos, your left thumb can rest on this button. For this reason, the manufacturer’s developers made this button slightly indented to prevent it from being accidentally pressed.
Memory
Below is a closed slot for Memory Stick Micro media. This replaces the slot for the Pro Duo Memory Stick that was present on previous Sony Ericsson phones. This allowed us to move to a newer format of cards with dimensions of 15 x 12.5 x 1.2 mm. Despite the fact that these accessories helped to save a little space, very small cards initially seemed to users to be inconvenient to use, and for this reason the old format of memory cards exists today.
Sony Ericsson K800i - camera specifications
At the time of the device’s release, the 3.2 megapixel camera resolution was sensational, but this is by no means its only distinguishing feature. A flash, for example, is also a significant addition, since cameras of that time could not take good photos in low light conditions and indoors.
In addition, there is a huge 16x digital zoom, but you have to be careful with digital zoom: the closer you zoom in, the more blurry and blurry you get. More useful is the autofocus function, which makes the photos obtained with the Sony Ericsson K800i much clearer.
Another convenient setting is BestPic. It allows you to take nine photos in quick succession when you press the create frame button. You can view all the images and select the one you want to save. This is convenient in situations such as creating group shots, where the subject is quite a few objects.
Other features
The phone also has a popular several years ago synchronization with your own blog. If you liked any photo, you just choose Blog This. When you do this for the first time, then automatically synchronize with the website and get your own login via SMS. Then you can send the link to all your friends, and they will get access to the blog, and you will manage it using the plug-in built in the web browser.
In addition to the camera, the device contains an organizer complete with a calendar, task manager, notes, alarm and calculator, as well as PC Suite software for managing information synchronization and connecting to a PC.
Entertainment options are very relevant for this phone. Users are offered an FM radio, and if you don’t like the preset tunes, you can upload your own using MusicDJ. Therefore, when talking about how to flash Sony Ericsson K800i, it is worth remembering that these programs are outdated today.
You also get 4 games: mini-golf, locks (which switches the screen format to another mode and has a multi-user option via Bluetooth), fishing (the plot of which is built on underwater life) and tennis (which perfectly demonstrates the processor power and 3D-graphics of the phone) .
Of course, the K800i boasts good-quality music playback. But, unfortunately, you have to use the provided in-ear headphones that share the handset connector with a network adapter and a PC connection cable.
Final verdict
As testing shows, when using the gadget there are no problems with voice and video calls. All the time of the call, you can hear and see the callers well, and they can see and hear you. The volume of speech is sufficient for most calls.
Playing music is very good in terms of volume and not bad in terms of sound quality. Thus, the device is perfect for everyday use as a player.
The image quality of the camera was impressive at the time the phone was released. Of course, in bright sunlight, the colors were pretty blurry, but the photographs taken indoors were remarkably crisp even without a flash.
The battery present in the K800i Sony Ericsson is quite powerful, and the battery charge is enough to use the phone without recharging for several days in standby mode. However, if you often use video calls, take photos with a flash and transfer data via Bluetooth or listen to music all day, you will need to use a charger much more often.