Last year fashion phones were all the rage, and for LG this may still be the case. For everyone else, rugged phones are the new black with Telstra (actually ZTE), Samsung, and now Sony Ericsson releasing handsets that can take a pounding, a splashing and a sand storm, then call a friend afterwards to boast about it. However, Sony Ericsson is attempting to walk the line between these two markets — showcasing the rugged C702 at a recent Nicholas X Morley fashion show during Fashion Week 2008 in Sydney.
Design
The early images we saw of the C702 seemed to defy the C702's rugged, outdoor-sy feel with a teeny-bopper candy blue exterior. Our review unit looks more the part, with a black rubber, non-slip lower half married to a matte finished metal-look plastic on top, with all the trimmings fitting into this limited colour palette. In short, our C702 looks like a butch phone.
The C702 sports a bright and colourful 2.4-inch display which is a must for when it's doubling as the viewfinder in camera mode. Under the screen, the keypad is a familiar combination of nav-keys and a T9 number pad. In truth, the keys on the number pad are probably no bigger than the rice-sized keys we saw on the W890i, and while this still seems like a poor use of the available space, this keypad is comfortable to use. Unfortunately, the five-way navigation panel isn't as comfy, with the hollow square-style button feeling sharp under our thumbs.
If you've hated in the past how Sony Ericsson persists with M2 memory instead of microSD, and proprietary headphone inputs instead of a 3.5mm port, then be prepared to keep your hatred simmering — both minor annoyances are back in this current range of Sony Ericsson handsets. Unlike recent Walkman branded release, the bundled stereo headset does not come with a 3.5mm headphone adapter.
Features
Similar to Samsung's M110, the C702 has a certification of resistance; in this case an Ingress Protection rating of 54 (IP54) where the first figure represents a 5 on a scale of 6 for dust protection, and the second figure indicates a 4 on a scale of 8 for water resistance — this means it's dust protected and able to withstand water splashing on the surface without damaging the phone.
Unlike the M110, the C702 is also loaded with features. The back of the handset is home to the 3.2-megapixel Cyber-shot branded camera and features dual-LED photolights and a sliding lens cover. The camera software includes face detection auto-focus and panoramic photo stitching, while the right panel of the numeric keypad alters the camera settings when in shooting mode.
The C702 will be one of the first of several Sony Ericsson handsets to feature on-board GPS this year, to be followed by the C902 and the X1. The review unit we've received came with Google Maps and Wayfinder maps pre-installed for navigation, plus an application called Tracker for coupling the GPS with your personal fitness regime. The C702 also comes with Bluetooth 2.0 built-in and a USB cable for syncing files with your PC.
Performance
Sony Ericsson's Cyber-shot camera modules have been disappointing in the past. The K850i — Sony Ericsson's flagship Cyber-shot from last year — performed poorly in our 5-megapixel camera phone showdown, and this latest Cyber-shot has delivered mixed results and is still far from the best in the market.
Our tests have been conducted during cold, miserable weather; less-than-perfect conditions for camera phone photography, but good conditions to put this camera through its paces. Like most camera phone modules, the C702's 3.2-megapixel shooter struggles to get enough light through the lens to take colourful, well-lit pictures. Some of the photos we took during our tests have turned out noisy — showing obvious artefacting — and the camera's auto-focus is not particularly accurate. That said, some of the pics we took have turned out impressively sharp and while the pics appear under-exposed, the colour reproduction is pretty accurate.
Matching the below average camera quality is below average battery life cycles; averaging two days between charges. In fairness, there is a lot of tech chewing through the battery — the GPS, HSDPA and the super-bright photolight — but this is only half of what smartphones with similar features usually manage.
The GPS receiver performs as well as most receivers found in mobile phones, which is usable but often slow. Using the WayFinder maps, we had no trouble navigating in a car, but we found pedestrian navigation to be inaccurate with the software tending to lead us down dark side streets rather than aiming us towards major arterial roads. Also, as a phone with assisted-GPS it would be great for there to be an indication of how much data we are sending and receiving while the GPS receiver is struggling for a signal. Heaven only knows how much we've spent on data this month testing the C702.
Overall
The C702 is a well-designed phone that's in keeping with Sony Ericsson's high standards for voice-calling and messaging, the HSDPA data speeds are excellent and the ruggedised handset should appeal to a wider audience than just miners and construction workers. If the Cyber-shot camera had taken great photos, the C702 would have been an easy recommendation, but we think Sony Ericsson still need to do a bit of work on its Cyber-shot camera modules.
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