Design
The Sony Ericsson Z610i is a hot little number that will turn heads. Available in blue, black and for a limited time pink, the Z610i's clamshell design comes with a sleek mirror finish. On the front of the phone is a simple 128x36-pixel OLED screen that lights up when users receive an SMS or phone call, which is a handy feature for those wanting to screen calls from editors wondering where a review for this phone has got to.
The Z610i will appeal to the masses with its small and slim 94 by 49 by 20 millimetre dimensions and rounded edges that make it easily slide into a pocket. Weighing in at 110 grams it is on the lighter side of most 3G phones on the market and a country mile lighter than the first 3G phones in Australia.
Inside the clamshell is a somewhat typical Sony Ericsson numeric keypad. We found the keypad easy to use and comfortable, however, we did find the navigation pad a little clumsy and hard to master. On the plus side the phone has a bright 262K-colour screen that measures 220 by 176 pixels, which we found clear for viewing photos and video.
Sony Ericsson has made the design of the Z610i simple and easy-to-use without compromising on style and looks.
Features
While the design is stylish and simple the Sony Ericcson Z610i has plenty of features for consumer and business users alike.
Included in the phone is a 2-megapixel camera which takes videos and stills. Using a 3G provider and an application on the phone called "The Picture Blog" users are able to upload their images to a blog site automatically.
Music lovers will be able to play MP3s using this phone, however no headphones are included in the standard unit and will have to be purchased separately. Also, the phone only ships with a 64MB Sony Memory Stick Micro but the phone does support cards up to 1GB. With 3G access users are able view the Web, mobile TV and download tunes or ringtones directly to the phone.
For business users the Z610i supports push e-mail which will let you have your regular e-mails forwarded to your mobile phone. With a browser included in the phone users will be able to see HTML, xHTML and WAP pages on the large 2-inch (5cm) screen. Also included is an RSS reader that periodically checks for new content on your favourite Web sites. Business users who like to synchronise contacts and calendars can do so via the Z610i's USB connection. Unfortunately the software included does not support Mac or Linux.
Performance
During our tests, the phone worked flawlessly for all basic operations such as receiving and making calls, sending text messages and viewing sites using the Hutchison's 3 mobile network.
While making videos and placing video calls is fun we aren't overly impressed by the quality delivered on the Z610i. While the phone has inbuilt 2-megapixel camera, the quality of photos we took were average at best. With no flash many of the photos we took were blurry and we found it difficult to capture moving objects.
With no cover for the camera lens, the phone could scratch or gather dust during everyday use. In fact, while the mirror face to the phone is aesthetically pleasing and well designed, users might be wary of fingerprint marks and possibly scratching the surface.
Using a standard 2G SIM card for the majority of our test period produced around three and a half days before we had to recharge the Z610i. Using 3G features and multimedia we would expect the phone to drain battery life a little faster.
With only a small amount of memory included, the Sony Ericsson Z610i will require more than a 64MB memory stick if you are looking to store more than about 16 music tracks and some photos or videos. This will be an additional cost to the phone for serious users of the multimedia features.
Overall, the Z610i is one of the most attractive Sony Ericsson phones that we've seen here at CNET.com.au. While we think many users will purchase this phone purely because it is pretty, there are some useful and handy features under the hood which will appeal to the fashion conscious business users and power users alike.
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princess_ally0123
17/07/2008, 03:29 PM
rating
9/10
hey i love this phone so much its awesome. i wouldnt want any other. and the LCD screen is so cool to. it tripps everyone out when they see it.
Pros: great phone all up
Cons: switches off for no reason sometimes. battery life doesnt last very long at times.
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chazzy=]
16/07/2008, 03:22 PM
rating
9/10
ive had this phone for about a year and i love it. camera and editing features are good. no real problems except memory is a bit small.. and the phone has frozen a few times and switched off for no reason.
great phone tho! i would recommend you buy it.
Pros: -easy to use keys
-camera
-music DJ
-easy messaging.
heaps more!
Cons: -occasionaly freezes
-fingerprints
-exterior camera view finder. gets scratched easily.
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zac
13/07/2008, 02:41 AM
rating
9/10
hey i have had thins phone in black and it is really nice!!! this phone takes great photos adn good videos, the battery life is a bit poor but is ecxellent for a 3g phone i haven't had any probrlems this phone so far... and can i just say that the people that have had peobrlems with this phone can i suggest dont be cheap and get it fro ebay if this is the case because most people try to save money and get it from ebay.. i got mine from a 3 store in the city (perth) and i have had nothing go wrong. great pic's gret vids great buttond great style and its eas to use nothing is bad about this phone
Pros: ecxellent camera and videos,,,,, great sound quallity and screen
Cons: gets coverd in fingerprints after 1 min of handeling, but u cant complain about the battery for a 3g phone
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Wendles
08/07/2008, 10:10 AM
rating
9/10
I've previously only ever had Nokia phones so I was a little worried about the change to a Sony Ericsson. I have had the Z610i for just over a week now and I think it’s great. The in call sound quality is fantastic and although the texting style is different to the Nokia’s the bigger wider key pad makes this easy to pick up. The camera and video quality is not the greatest but let’s face it, this is a phone. That’s what digital camera’s are for.
Pros: - Very easy to use
- Slim and light wieght
- Big keypad
Cons: - Camera and Video quality could be better i guess. But agian.. it's a phone not a camera.
- It will get scratches very easy but I got a clear cover for the top so hopefully that wont be as much of an issue.
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shima
15/06/2008, 05:44 PM
rating
7/10
good phone but .....
Pros: good keypad.
Cons: not stylish.
gets scratched easily.
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sony-ericsson z530
09/06/2008, 02:50 PM
rating
7/10
Sony Ericsson Z610i is my best cell phone ever. I like this because of its fast and efficient functions. Stylish and unique design.
Pros: Small form factor.
Gorgeous color.
Very easy to use.
Cons: Battery cover easily scratched.
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sophie
24/05/2008, 01:51 PM
rating
8/10
ok phone, very pretty =]
Pros: *nice design
*large keys
*ok battery
Cons: *limited features
*not enough memory
*scratched/fingerprints
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vruksha
22/05/2008, 11:11 PM
rating
10/10
it gets charged very fast
Cons: nil
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lozza_babe
15/05/2008, 10:00 PM
rating
9/10
my best friend has this phone in pink and its o awesome! im about to get it myself but my bf doesnt want me to get it in pink- the same colour she has.. but i dont like the blue as much and it would be weird havin the same fone and the same colour.. what should i do?
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Courts
06/05/2008, 01:35 PM
rating
7/10
Have had my phone for a year now. it has frozen on my only twice.
it came with hands-free and usb. I have got a few scratches and chips on it but that was due to dropping it on hard surfaces, such as the road.
Pros: cute
fun
Cons: camera is a bit doge, but its a phone. who cares not a camera
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