Review: Sony Ericsson S700i

Sony Ericsson S700i Review

Phone rating:

Note: the S700i is now obsolete. For an updated camera phone consider the forthcoming Sony Ericsson C905.

The Sony Ericsson S700i features a rotating opening mechanism that is very similar to the Motorola V80. Push the phone gently and it swivels open to reveal the keypad inside (see the image on the right). As well as being a cool feature, it enables a large screen to fit within a compact phone design, as well as providing protection for the keypad when closed. First impressions of the phone are very good, with beautiful styling and bright vivid colours on the display. Build quality is impressive, although the phone is rather heavy and large.

When closed, the phone can be used for making and receiving calls, and for accessing the phone menu. The 4-way navigation button is easy to use and seems to be more robust than the joysticks on earlier Sony Ericsson phone. When opened, the full keypad becomes accessible for texting, dialling and using email or MMS. The keypad can also be opened at an angle of 90 degrees for use when gaming.

Turn the phone over and it becomes a camera! The S700i has a 1.3 megapixel camera, making it the best yet from Sony Ericsson, and placing it amongst the very small number of megapixel camera phones (at the time of writing, the only other comparable phones in the UK market are the Sharp GX30 and the Nokia 7610). The camera comes with a built in flashlight, 8x digital zoom, and picture effects. The camera can also operate as a video recorder. It has to be said that the added size and weight of the phone helps when it comes to taking pictures - heavier cameras are easier to hold steady and you can easily use two hands to hold the S700i.

The screen is of exceptionally high quality, with 262k colours and a huge 240 x 320 pixel resolution, making it the largest screen of any currently available mobile. Colours are rendered vividly. This is a fantastic screen which does justice to the high-quality camera and video capabilities of the phone. The size of the screen makes everyday tasks such as writing messages so much easier. It's also brilliant for playing 3D Java™ games.

The S700i doesn't stop there. It's a true media device with a stereo FM radio and MP3 player. You can record MP3 ringtones, or compose your own 40-voice polyphonic ringtones using the MusicDJ™ composer included with the phone. Connectivity is excellent, with full Bluetooth™ support for wireless connection to headsets, car kits and other devices, as well as infrared and cable connections. The phone comes with a 32 Mbyte Memory Stick Duo, and you can extend the storage capacity by buying additional memory sticks, currently up to 128 Mbytes.

Sony Ericsson's stated battery standby of 12 days is probably optimistic, but for most users, battery life should certainly be a few days, which is much better than that of the K700i for example.

In short, the S700i is an excellent all-round phone and is highly recommended.

Features of the Sony Ericsson K700i include:

• 1.3 megapixel camera (1280 x 960 pixels) with video recorder (176 x 144 resolution) and sound recorder
• Video playback and download
• 262k colour TFT screen (240 x 320 pixels)
• 40 voice polyphonic ringtones / MP3 ringtones
• Ringtone composer (MIDI polyphonic)
• Screensaver
• Games: embedded and downloadable
• SMS, EMS, MMS with predictive text and MMS templates
• Email, instant messaging
• QuickShare™
• Picture phonebook
• Integrated handsfree
• Connectivity: Bluetooth™, infrared, USB, RS232 cable
• Synchronisation PC
• SyncML
• Personal organiser
• WAP 2.0, GPRS, high-speed data
• Memory: 32 Mbytes, plus external memory cards (32 Mbytes supplied)
• Vibration alert
• Triband
• Size: 108 x 49 x 25 mm
• Weight: 137g
• Talktime: 7 hours
• Battery standby: 12 days

Sony Ericsson S700i Consumer Reviews

Love your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive language, and please, no advertising!

Average rating from 100 reviews:

Reviewed by pete from u.k on 26th Feb 2005
only had the fone a few days and i am very pleased with it, not as big and bulky as so many folk made out it to be. Previously had the k700i so was pleased i didn't have to find my way around as its pretty much the same set up. I love the media player, with working outside i just leave it playing as i work, a good hour hardly uses any battery life. The camera is ideal for all i need it for, the video is good, but i wouldn't say the greatest quality, but then again i have not seen every video fone on the market. To sum up, i would certainly be getting SE fones in the future.
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Reviewed by Dan from England on 25th Feb 2005
Now had the phone for a month and i am yet to find it's bad points. Contrary to my first thoughts of it being too big , i think it is an ideal size for a mobile. The piture is amazing as we should all well know. There isn,t a mega-pixel phone that can rival it for picture quality, looks and ease of use, and that includes the D500.
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Reviewed by Steven Webb from England on 25th Feb 2005
Had this phone for a couple of weeks now and it is excellent.Only problem i have is getting the battery cover off to access the simcard,what a pain!!!!
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Reviewed by Johan Agemalm from Sweden on 23rd Feb 2005
I got this phone 1 week ago and i love it.... but its just 1 thing im wondering about... can i play my music videos i have on my computer on my phone? anyone who has an answer are welcome to e-mail me at scitzo1@hotmail.com and give me the answear
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Reviewed by Laven from UK on 23rd Feb 2005
Hi Guys, Bad points: 1) Using the keypad is a nightmare. It took me 30mins to type a 160chars. 2) You can not sort ur SMS into different folder 3) No way to zoom-in, zoom-out on pictures already taken 4) Phone shuts-down itself once in a while 5) The calendar is very basic, u can't setup-up recurrent reminders etc. Good points: 1) Impressive display screen 2) Excellent voice clarity 2)
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Reviewed by RS from Botswana on 23rd Feb 2005
Phone is almost close to perfect. Main disappointed is the phone book + call list. Somehow it jumbles up names of people on your call list. You call julie, it says you calld the ambulance. Maybe it hs to do with number entries into the phone book which i cannot modify unfortunately
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Reviewed by Anthony from Australia on 23rd Feb 2005
This phone is excellent. I have had this phone for almost two weeks and it's the best I ever had. I previously owned a Nokia 8210 which I kept for 4.5 years and decided to upgrade to this amazing phone. I was weary about moving to Sony Ericsson after owning several Nokia phones in the past, but the user interface is excellent. It is better than Nokia!!! I was concerned about the size at first, but the size really doesn't matter after having the phone for a while and the great features it offers. I can connect to the Sony Ericsson website and downloaded some amazing games that were free, and can connect to Optus Zoo and watch live TV!!! If you are considering buying this phone, go for it!! I highly recommend it. It took me about a month to decide which phone to buy and I went for the S700i. I'm not regretting it at all. Thanks to the other reviewers, I will be checking ebay about protecting this fabulous display that you cannot fault. What amazing colours and pictures you can review on this screen. It would be hard to find another phone on the market that offers the latest in technology. The only thing that would beat it, would be the new 3G phones that are starting to come on the market.
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Reviewed by Michael from St Albans, United Kingdom on 22nd Feb 2005
(See my main review below - 17th Feb 2005) This is just to uprate my 4 star score to 5 - Email client and MMS bug down to old SIM card (BT Cellnet) not being enabled for it - thanks once again to O2 retail shop, they swapped it for a new one (kept old number) :>) Josie below - you need a USB Bluetooth dongle for the PC (eBay, dabs.com, amazon.com, etc)(which tells you how to configure it) then read the S700i manual p65-p66 for Bluetooth set-up, or go see the place you bought it from. Won't be fast pic transfer - card reader should be quicker (use USB 2.0) but high-res pics aren't swift. Guy with scratched phone - if you can afford the phone at that price, £10 for a case won't kill you! Should point out FM radio only works with wired headphones not Bluetooth headset. To make most of Memory Stick when downloading mp3's, set bit rate (on PC music program tabs e.g. iTunes, MusicMatch, Windows Media Player, etc) to lower rate, e.g. 16kbs instead of CD quality 160kbs for transfer. For your own music ringtones/alarms, you don't need concert hall audio (use equaliser to improve it to taste) and it saves a lot of space. Final thought: Yes you can find more powerful individual features (camera etc), but the sum of its parts relative to what one would use it for, makes it the best all round device by far. Well done Sony Ericcson, tough act to follow.
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Reviewed by Cherok from UK on 22nd Feb 2005
Having wondered up the West End whilst I was alone from the partner and Kids I decided to pop into the 02 store on Bond Street to have a gander at what was on offer. Having recently received a letter from 02 suggesting that I may be entitled to an upgrade with a discount of up to £75 I had decided that my heart was set on on the Samsung D500, but low and behold the informative member of staff showed me his S700i and pointed out that not only was it a better phone but indeed much more sophisticated! I laughed it off thinking to myself what a load of Cods Wallop, but needless to say my curiousity got the better of me and decided to ask him to show me it's functions. I was suitably impressed, and was even gobsmacked when I saw how amazing the quality of pictures were!!! Inevitably I succumbed to his professional sales manner and embarked on a further 12 months with 02, with my S700i in hand I found myself fondling the phone with great admiration, and 1.5 weeks later my interest or admiration has not waned! Go get one, be the envy of all, but above all Sony Ericcsson has surpassed it's committment to ongoing quality - APPLAUSE :) PS: The only reason it's getting a 4 Star is because I can't seem to get my head around the swivel motion, always ends up upside down!! :)
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Reviewed by Mzjango from UK on 21st Feb 2005
iv had my S700i for bout 2 months now and features wise im not sure there is another phone on the market that can beat the s700i! i got mine on ebay band new for only 180 plus 128mb duo stick... i think i was lucky though because most brand new s700is are goin at around 250 - 300 on ebay. anyway... this phone is great to look at, credit to sony e's design team. Its extremeley ergonomically designed... so easy to use! i happen to like the swivel keypad feature, but id say go into a carphone warehouse n play round with the dummy or get a demo, see how u like it! The games are kool and iv put a few more on splintercell PT, prince of persia etc.. great stuff (http://www.s700i.co.uk < great free stuff for the phone) the 1.3 megapixel camera considering this is a phone is amazing... iv hered a few idiots complain saying 'oh my 5megapixel camera takes far better pics than this, what a piece of junk' yes well i think it would considering 5 on 1.3 the truth is this is a phone which most people will take everywhere with them so where ever u r u have a very decent camera to take pics with... or erm if u like u can carry ur 5mp camera everywhere with u, get it nicked or jus look like a bloomin tourist whereever u go! Ok so basically this is a great piece brought to us by sony e. But!! one point that has stoped me giving it 5 stars is the paint job and the con of all sony ericssons in that u cannot change the facias for these phones, especially in regards to the s700i which does not have the firmest paint, from a gentle nudge against my arm chair in the sitting room i got a 1 x 1 mm chip just above the speaker phone :'( trust me i nearly cried... but yer be warned try keep it in a case or pouch, cos this is a valuable peice of hardware u have n it woould be a shame to mash it up like i have! but yer neway ... GET THIS PHONE! :D
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Reviewed by Adeyinka Owo from Uk on 21st Feb 2005
it is a lovely camera but has been giving me hassles with the phone bit. the address book is messed up and I cannot receive text messages from abroad - someone please help me
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Reviewed by Josie from England on 19th Feb 2005
Yo! I have had this phone for 2 months and am loving it so much! The camera is unbelievably good and the menu is seriously easy to navigate through. One thing though...I still haven't managed to set it up with my pc. I have uploaded the pics from the memory stick onto my pc but it takes about 8 minutes a picture! Seriously long...and can anyone help me with the whole bluetooth thing with the pc. I wanna try sending pics via bluetooth and controling the pc using the phone...sounds cool. Other than that this phone is seriously amazing. All my friends are well jealous!!! If you are thinking about buying a phone, I strongly recommend it. You can do anything you want on it. I also had the choice of the V3 among others and after looking at all of them this stood out by far. I am loving it!!! see ya, love jose xxx
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Reviewed by Tumbalam from India on 18th Feb 2005
Its excellent i can say that its a camera with phone ...
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Reviewed by Michael from St Albans, United Kingdom on 17th Feb 2005
Basing a decision on a review of a mobile without taking into account the service provider, place of purchase and accessories is a little unrealistic, so I hope my comments provide a bit more of an insight for those seeking the best all round deal/package, although it's a shame it has to be this torturous an experience. Content with basic phones for many years, I've made use of free upgrades on obsolete stock the size of the hubble telescope with nothing other than the hash key as an optional extra beyond yer actual numbers and which 3 year old kids wouldn't be seen dead with. Even with an image impaired rating though, I've managed to make it to my forties, I run my own business, sustain a meaningful relationship and still got my own teeth. However, I felt the time had come to upgrade to something a bit special. Sponteneity isn't my strong point so after exhaustive on/offline review trawling, loitering with intent on various phone shops and boring mates with questions about their phones, I settled on the S700i as the most appropriate function with style option - thanks to all those reviewers below for their input. I've had the S700i now for about a month, so for a refreshing idiot's guide, here goes... I envy those who can navigate their way round 90% of phone keypads the size of a stamp, but for those with large hands this is about the best keypad there is. It's not quite as responsive as my old Motorola Timeport (told you I was into obsolete), but the spacing is great. The flip action might not suit everyone but I love it. The build quality is excellent, way better than any Nokia I handled during extensive loitering and from what I've learned Motorola have lost the plot on reliability since producing phones in my era. My final shortlist also included the Nokia 6630, O2 XDAii and Orange SPV. In the end, no contest. True, the XDA has the extra power and software capability; the SPV is locked into Orange idiosyncracies, but aside from cost considerations, the S700i handles better and has all the gubbins including an FM radio. The rest of the features others have highlighted below (or go check it out above or at the Sony website), so I won't go into that in huge detail. I love the solid feel, the size doesn't cause me any problems. It's NOT that big, in fact I find it reassuring. However I'd recommend the Krusell case (£9.99 online from i2020 - good service, nice case) to protect the georgous screen and brushed finish shell. Most of the functions can be accessed without the swivel (notably texting and PIN entry excepted) and the case has a novel design allowing keypad protection, while the screen swivels over it. The swivel maxes out at 180 degrees but it can open in either direction. I've got to grips with most of the features: bluetooth works fine (Jabra headset perfectly serviceable) with PC, superb reception, volume on ringtones & earpiece excellent, screen image stunning. Navigation is easy; not much of an adjustment to make from Motorola or Nokia menus. Joystick is good (only occasional selection miscue if I go too fast) most functions easily accessed, although the camera lens has to be open to access camera offerings. I adore the backlit blue neon button lighting (easily pleased, me.) in low light. There's no flash but the low light bulb is bright; washes out some shots though. For a 1.3megapixel camera it's very impressive with a spot meter thrown in. However, I need a much steadier hand to avoid blurred shots compared with my Z1 digital camera. Battery life is okay averaging five days before a recharge on light/medium use, two days on heavy. I'm on O2; did consider changing but tariffs and coverage are about as good as it gets without quirky stuff. The O2 home page and Sony site are slow to connect - my only real gripe is setting up the Email client and MMS settings. I've downloaded the settings several times from the Sony site and read the manual but still can't use either hence four stars marring a perfect score. I'll get it sorted when I've got more time to muck about with it, but either I'm a complete dummy or you'll be lucky to manage it first time out. Now for the best bit. Dial-a-phone deal was £39.99 on O2 100 with 6 months double minutes/texts. (I was on 02 50 [mainly incoming calls])Only snag was I couldn't migrate my existing number, which I need for my business. O2 online same issue. Local O2 retail outlet deal was £79.99, but after I told them about Dial-a-phone and I'd been an O2 user for ten years, they put me through to Head Office 'retentions'. Was initially told the S700i & K700i had been withdrawn but the shop staff said it was just a rogue batch (you guys below must've had these); their stock was fine and could change it if I needed to. Retentions gave me the deal for £39.99, upgrade to O2 100 (including 6 month double minutes promo) and kept my number. Threw in the headset with £10 off as well. I paid the full whack in the shop, but Retentions refunded £40 to my account. Result. Thanks to the staff in the shop - excellent customer service. Overall, image rating restored, without doubt fabulous phone, great deal..you might get it free if you wait or have high usage, but this one is too good to be patient for.
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Reviewed by Atif Shamsudoha from England on 17th Feb 2005
This phone is sick bruv, i cant believe it, it has everything... back in the day when i was in india...we didnt even have landline phones... I have had this phone for 2 weeks and i love it... it is better than the lg u8110... I will be going back to india in july 2005 (can't wait) GET THIS PHONE BEFORE I GO... i got mine for 50pounds on contract online ... see ya... from Atif Shamsudoha
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Reviewed by Jonathan from Andover, England on 16th Feb 2005
I have had this phone for 5 weeks now and cannot fault it. Bluetooth was very easy to set up on my PC and the phone. I had to decide between the S700i and the V3 and after trying both you cannot compare the S700i to the motorola. The menu system is very easy to navigate round on the S700i whilst the V3 was clumsy and dull to look at. The V3 may be a better looking phone but its performance that matters and the S700i leaves the Razor for dead. Try looking on ebay for a screen cover for £2:99 it protects the brilliant screen from scratches and keeps the phone looking new. The games that are pre-installed and available to download from sony put the gameboy advance to shame. If your looking for a decent mobile that has excellent standby time and is pack with easy to use features you will not go wrong with he S700i.
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Reviewed by Jamie from England on 14th Feb 2005
I think this phone is great with the quality of photos etc, but what is the difference between this and the s700@ Cheers, jamie
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Reviewed by David from Surrey, England on 13th Feb 2005
I bought this phone about 2 weeks after i had come out onto the UK market, due to a one day special offer on the contract. This was, and i believe still is the best phone out there to have, both on style, as well as the quality of the interface. Being 18, style is very important, and this phone has it in abundance. The new V3 by Motorola was also on offer, but the quality of the camera and the screen was more then enough to sway me. It may be fairly chunky, about an inch or so thick, i can see why some of the female consumers may find this somewhat of a problem, yet for the guys out there, this shouldnt really be an issue. Only two days after purchase, i had recognised a few software problems on the phone, which led me to get another S700i, yet the same issue led to me getting 5 before i was rid of it. Once this phone was fully operational, i found it a dream to use. The joystick is perfect, easy to use and desimates all the other joystick phones on the market at the moment. The swivel screen is a true lady impresser, and in no way shape or form flimsey. Phonebook is very easy to use, so is texting, both photo and sms, and all the other many features avaliable on this phone are of the finest quality, and so simple to use, perfect when you are on the go. The true winner on this phone, is the camera and video. The quality of photos, as stated by many of the user reviews, is phenomonal, largely helped by the large screen, and the layout of the buttons upon this phone. When you take a picture or video, its operation is much like that of an actual camera. This phone is way out of reach of such phones as the Samsung D500 and V3. Its sheer quality simply out weighs them 2 to 1. Making calls is also incredibly easy, without having to unlock the keypad, and once in conversation, the sound quality is crystal clear. Whilst debating the faults of this phone, i have only been able to think of a few, minor issues, such as it can be easily scratched, but nothing serious. I am sure if you are delicate, you should find no problem in maintaining its showroom apperance throughout your ownership. Accidentally connecting to WAP services, through the use of one key is also easy to achieve, leaving you will a slight increase of your monthly bill, though, again if you are careful, this should not occur frequently. In all honesty, these are the only faults i have found in my 5 or so months of being the proud owner of this phone. If you are young, a student, looking to impress and for a phone which is easy to use, straight to the point as well as high in quality then my friend, this is the phone for you. If you are looking for a slim, light phone, this it is not, go for the V3, yet the interface quality is nothing of the same. If you do not mind havin a large phone, and want more then the basics, then aside from this marvel, do check out the new P910i, everything you need in the palm of your hand. If after this, you are still not sure, do go in to your local phone shop, and ask for some demonstrations, i am sure the salesmen will be more then helpful as after all, they dont know whether or not you are going to buy. This is an outstanding phone, personally, i feel the best avaliable now, and for the next 6 months. Sony Ericsson have come along way, reward them. Enjoy.
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Reviewed by Madhu from Singapore on 13th Feb 2005
Really its cool design and excellent resolution. And dont know how to download the games for my cute's :)
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Reviewed by Neil from Manchester on 12th Feb 2005
Only had the phone a few days. Great phone but the battery soon disapears without you realising but the main problem is displaying web pages. I keep getting a message saying you need "frames" go and download from microsoft and then come back. It then gives you a link to Microsoft but I cannot find anything on there to download frames to the phone. Can some one help
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Reviewed by Steven from Scotland on 12th Feb 2005
i havent got the phone yet but i have tried it out in the shops, i ma going to get it on o2 paymonthly, the price is really good, £79.99 for the handset then £25/mont wich gets you 100text & 100mins, doubled for the first 6 MONTHS, aslo o2 gold insurance wich covers u if u drop it down the toilet at £70, camera is graet!1, geting it 2morow
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Reviewed by Phil from England on 12th Feb 2005
I absolutely love this phon firstly because of the screen size compared to other phones on the market and most obviously because of the camera quality it is simply outstanding i don't mind about the size because of it being such a high quality phone.
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Reviewed by PhunkyPhat from South frica on 10th Feb 2005
This is the worst phone i have ever had to deal with. WHAT a mission to do everything and what pathetic styling.the only decent thing is the screen otherwise its useless. To the Samsung D500 i go!!!!
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Reviewed by snowfeathe from uk on 3rd Feb 2005
Whether you rate this cell phone good or ordinary depends on what you expect from it and use it for. If you want a camera that has MP3, radio, video clips and other fun features and is also a cell phone, then it is very good. But if you want a cell phone first and foremost that has the above, it really is nothing to write home about. The keys are depressed, the swivel action is gimicky and potentialy not as robust as a clamshell, the software re text messaging is suspect and it's much thicker than other cell phones. The quality is it's best feature plus the screen. As for the camera. 1.3 million pixels is not even entry level so far as camers go. But if you want a camera that is good, possibly one of the best by cell phone standards, then okay. Personally, I need a cell phone to be a good phone; other features are secondary. I reseached this phone and spoke to a number of people before coming to the above conclusion. Please remember, it is after all, only my opinion.
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Reviewed by Mooky Moo from England on 3rd Feb 2005
Nice features but bit of a brick. Camera was not what I thought it would be either. Other than that, if you are looking for a fun phone I'd recommend it. You might need to work out in the gym for a few months before you can pick it up but a decent handset nonetheless!
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Reviewed by Gareth from N. Ireland on 2nd Feb 2005
I got this phone at the start of Jan, and have had nothing but bother with it! The main problem is txt messaging ie. if someone sends you a message do not expect to receive it! at least not for a few days. I got it on O2 and they replaced it when I reported the fault, the only problem is the replacement acted the same way; this time they cannot replace it as they have withdrawn it! the problem has somthing to do with a conflict between the software of the phone and the software that O2 use. It is such a shame becase in every other respect I loved the phone, ahh well back to nokia I go!!!!!
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Reviewed by Dipen from England on 2nd Feb 2005
This phone is amazing especially its camara. With 1.3 megapixels the quality of images is very good and the video recording is just as good. I havent found any problems and dont think there will be. The svilvel design of the phone is great, truly a great piece of engineering. The memory of the S700i is also good as it has 32mb built in memory and it is also expandable unlike the the k700i. The media features of the phone are also of a wide range from MP3s to the FM radio. The only phone that can compare to this is the Nokia 6230, but if you want a great camara phone this is it.
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Reviewed by Andrew from UK on 30th Jan 2005
I love this phone! Got it free on O2 for £35 per month for xmas and haven't stopped playing with it yet.Use the radio everyday which is great, headphones don't fit very well, but that might just be my ears! Camera's good, had a few printed out at a 'boots' kiosk ( using infra red, couldn't get the bluetooth or memory card to work ) and quality's good, though obviously not fantastic.. I'm sure phones will be 5mp sometime soon. Having problems getting an email account set up. O2 keep sending my the settings, but somethings not quite right. Don't think much of the internet browser, sites mainly limited to text.. though bbc and rail times (live) works well. No problems with the size of it, screen is fantastic, compare it to a K700 and it shines. I like the fact you can do most stuff without opening it. It occasionally powers down if I've been using the radio and gaming at the same time (get 3D snowboarding!), but I guess I'm pushing it. All in all a fantastic phone. Someone told me a 512mb duo stick is avaliable in Asia, anyone know?
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Reviewed by Fred from Denmark on 30th Jan 2005
Great phone and great camera !!! But where can I download java-programs for my phone ?? /Fred
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Reviewed by Yuley from UK on 29th Jan 2005
This phone has a high standard of quality, but it just isan't some people's sort of type, i don't really kno what is good about it, the reall only good thing is really only the camera, i don't know what people love about it so much?
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Reviewed by Nida Ejaz from Pakistan on 29th Jan 2005
This is very outstanding mobile . I really like this cell phone but the only drawback i have found in it is that we have to download software to view the video on PC/Laptop even in Sony Laptop. Apart from that its excellent specially its camera is awsome.
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Reviewed by Ow Yeong from Malaysia on 29th Jan 2005
I think it's a excellent phone for me but it's really big in size when it open to phone style! the camera quality is wonderful and the sound is cool!
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Reviewed by Nat from England on 28th Jan 2005
Just got this phone and previously owned a gx20 and i am really impressed. There are so many features to use and the design is great. I dont really find the design annoying like other people have said although it is a bit akward if only using one hand. Changing from the GX20 was going to be difficult and i can safely say that i think i have made the right choice. The camera is really good but the GX20's was just as good, i feel. Havnt been able to use mp3 ringtones with my own mp3's yet but im sure there will be a way round this. I paid £350 for vodaphone pay as you go which is very expensive but so far so good!
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Reviewed by Iain from England on 27th Jan 2005
Just got this phone today, so far so good. Please if you are going to get this phone on contract the best option is O2. The phone looks the business but definately one for the boys as is heavy and quite large.
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Reviewed by Dave Morley from uk on 26th Jan 2005
Well what can i say, wow what a phone, had it a couple of days now and it is the best thing since someone took a knife to a loaf of bread. But, and yes there is a but, how in gods name do you get the battery cover off?????? Ive puffed and huffed til red in the face but it still wont budge, and now ive got a scratch on it, i need to get the sim card out but cant, someone please help before i take a hammer to it.
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Reviewed by Santosh from Australia on 26th Jan 2005
Great camera - nice large screen and excellent resolution -it's the typical party phone.
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Reviewed by Dave Sharpe from UK on 24th Jan 2005
Amazing phone, almost all I ever wanted but 128Mb limit means I still have to use my iPod mini with iTrip for MP3s. Noticed review by Raj Badiani from UK on 7th Jan 2005 claiming to use 512Mb - I don't believe him.
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Reviewed by Roland G. from Philippines on 23rd Jan 2005
I got this fone for over a week now, IT'S AMAZING.... Get out and buy one, don't waste your time looking for something else...
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Reviewed by Diane from UK on 13th Jan 2005
'I want one of those'...that's want everyone says when they see this phone. This is my 1st Sony phone, having owned most Nokias, Sharp and Samsungs, and this is easily the best and most user friendly ever. I was a bit put off by the opening of this phone but there is a knack to it and once mastered, looks very impressive. The camera is superb, and very easy to use and it really is a bonus because I feel like i am carrying my camera around with me to catch those moments without having to remember it. The phone is has every gadget you could need and the games are so realistic. The only reason i would not recommend you get this phone is because you would have the same as me!!!
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Reviewed by Joe G from England on 12th Jan 2005
This phone is amazing! I got one today and am amazed at the high quality screen. I haven't got much working yet alothough all the email and gprs download costs scare me so i'll stay away from that for a while. The Picture Quality is good but i havn't seen it on a pc yet. It doesn't cope to well being in dimly lit areas though. I am rather disappointed with the video which i think is to small to even fit the screen of the phone (which is huge). I hope it is not this small when viewed on a pc. The ringtones are great and the fact that it came with a 32mb card is good so i can immediatly start putting mp3's onto it. I installed the software onto my pc and it trys to connect to the phone but i have no cable. I think you have to use bluetooth or infared which isnt to much of a problem as i have one my laptop. The phone is quite slow and takes quite a qhile to load even simple things sometimes. The games, well anyone stupid enough to buy this phone or in fact any phone for games must be crazy as all mobile phone games i have ever played are complete rubbish, these included. It is heavy but it just gives the phone a feel of quality. I agree with many people in saying the design is very impracticle as i control the menus with it closed and the camera but i have to open it just to turn it off or write something in which does mean turning the phone upside down which is hassle even if i could do it in one hand. However this is still a great phone for the price as it has gone down to £80 on £25 per month contract on o2. Say no to Vodafone, they put rubbish on and take some features off on certain phones.
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Reviewed by Basanta Thapa from Nepal,Pokhara on 10th Jan 2005
Bought it week ago. What can i say WoW! its pda. The display is briliant, voice clearity is good. So many features, can't be decribed in few lines. I want more memory to store lot's of mp3 but 128... limited. battery life is low and i can't find more 3d games though. After all great phone and hey 1.3 mega pixel better than some digital cameras.
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Reviewed by Jack from England on 9th Jan 2005
Truely outstanding. Best phone if its kind. Everything you need great camera. i was deciding between this and the nokia 7610 but this is out in a league of its own. Sensational. Buy it.
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Reviewed by Helen from Nottingham England on 9th Jan 2005
Just trying to decide whether to keep it or send it back!?! Managed to get it for free as an upgrade and the main purpose for wanting it was the 1.3mp camera and big display. Finding it a bit cumbersome at the mo as it is a lot heavier and bulkier than I expected it to be, but then hey.......you can't have it all I suppose...(why not? I actually think you should be able to!). I'm impressed with the quality of the graphics and the menu is easy to navigate, but I've always been a Nokia girl and I'm contemplating waiting until I can get the 6630 on my network. This is down to a couple of things..... Firstly, I'm not keen on the contacts section. The phone seems to be having trouble with the contacts from my SIM and on one of my contacts there is an aerial shaped icon next to the name, but the icon is nowhere to be seen in the manual! God knows what it means! Secondly. I'm with O2 and when I went to O2 active to possibly download a new game, it said that there were no games currently available for this handset. I'm not sure whether this is a network or handset problem. On a positive note, the camera is impressive. It's so handy to have instead of having to remember to take your camera to places as well. All in all, the funtionality of the phone is excellent apart from a few personal gripes. (Everybody likes different things on a phone). For me, it's more of a style thing. It looks like a brick and feels like one. I would like to think that in the year 2005 I could purchase a phone with a 1.3mp camera but with style too! Maybe I need to wait for the Nokia 6630......
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Reviewed by Mo.D from UK on 8th Jan 2005
phone is good on first impressions. i thought it would be like the complicated menu of previous sony ericssons' but it's not! the only problem is the battery life. If u dont use the phone then ur alright. but say ur on the go and wanna listen to some music on the media player or whatever; the battery life goes down. good phone
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Reviewed by paul from england on 7th Jan 2005
This is an awsome phone. Iv'e had mine almost a month now and have to say its the best phone that iv'e had so far. Its physical size and weight has taken some what of a slating so far by some reviewers but to me this phone is a lovely size, personnaly i don't go for small phones as i end up loosing them. The built in 1.3Mpixell camera is, well its better than my own digital camera its amazing as long as light levels are good, i have to say that when taking pictures in poor levels of light the quality of the pictures do not reflect the phones specifications, its obvious that the camera has been optimized for daylight use because images taken outdoors during the day are crystal clear and have you reminding yourself that this is still a phone. The MP3 playback is a nice feuture and although the supplied earphones are a little uncomfortable the sound quallity will rival most £100 mark mp3 players, there is a graphic equalizer with 5 presets and a manual option so you can attain the sound to your liking, However if your going to make use of the mp3 player and insist on taking 1.3 Mpixel shots all the time then your going to need to upgrade the 32 Mbyte memorystick Duo to the stated 128Mbyte availlable ( do yourself a favour and look around for these, Ebay is a good option, i found a 128Mbyte card for £15.00 inc p&p). Bluetooth and infared are included so sharing transfering files too and from a PC is a doddle although if your going to transfer large MP3
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Reviewed by Raj Badiani from UK - London on 7th Jan 2005
This phone is the best... the camera...gotta be one of the best in the buisness: 8x digital zoom, 1.3 MP on photos (1290x960)...THe mp3 player is great, loadspeaker is rly clear...bought a memory stick 512MB gives me over 100 songs and hundreds of photos and videos...the design is great...bluetooth/infrared/java games/email/MMS/FM radio in the handsfree kit/WAP/GPRS/organizer? media player/music DJ/sound recording/themes/applications/shutter on camera lens (!) with flash? *********************1.3 MP*************************** swivel design smooth better than the moto V80...dont rly need to open the cover ever..unless txting...looks flash/quickshare WHAT MORE CAN YOU WANT???? WOULDN'T TRADE IT IN FOR ANY OTHER FONE...EVER... :D :D :D
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Reviewed by Lee from UK on 6th Jan 2005
This is not a phone it's a Camera, pretending to be a phone. I had this phone for 3 days and just could not get on with it at all. Moving from the k700i was an absolute shock, as stated previously the flip (spin) ends up in the wrong way up and you need 2 hands to open it, and potentially another hand to do anything else that may wish to do. I was expecting an easier phone to live with, lighter (heavy heavy phone)and less complicated. On a positive note the screen is fantastic and the software superb, but then nothing has changed from the k700i.
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Reviewed by Gary from England on 6th Jan 2005
I received the phone yesterday and so far I'm very impressed. This really is a superb piece of engineering. Yes, some say it's large, but it's no bigger than my SE T610 in its Krusell custom leather case. Of course I now have to buy a Krusell case for the S700i, which will make it larger, but it's a price I'm willing to pay to protect that fantastic screen. The camera is exceptional for a mobile phone. Images can be slightly noisy in low light, but they can be cleaned up with the many noise reducing software packages available. Just to give you an idea of the work Sony have put into this camera, it has auto and manual white balance settings for different lighting situations, as well as spot metering! As for MP3s, to clarify what an earlier reviewer has said, there is no need to download the DRM software. On my phone I can set any MP3 track as a ringtone without having to convert it. As for memory, 32mb of built-in memory is more than adequate, and with Memory Stick Duo 128 MB cards for less than £30 (Ebuyer), it's easy to expand the storage when needed. Reception is excellent, much better than my T610, and battery life seems to be holding up very well. Overall this is a great phone and I have no regrets about buying it, despite it's relatively high price. Incidentally, although the cheapest price I've seen is about £350 from Carphone Warehouse, I went for the O2 online 50 tariff, which works out at £378 over 12 months. That means I can spread the cost over 12 months and get free minutes and texts as well. Their insurance is cheaper than CPW too. O2 mobiles are effectively SIM free anyway. No doubt someone may know of a better deal? Although I've seen the phone for £299 on Ebay, I'd be inclined to stay away from those deals.
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Reviewed by Tom Copley from England on 6th Jan 2005
wat can i say... UNREAL! really is the best phone ive eva seen. the only phone that comes close is the GX30i and even thats no wer near as gud. in theory the S700i is a: Mobile phone (duh!), Radio, MP3 player, Digital camera, Video camera, electronic organiser and a web browser/email client. This phone really seriously does have it all. they even managed to fit in bluetooth! wouldnt swap this phone for any on the market, although I did pay £350 which hurt a little, and i got it Sim free so gettin the GPRS and MMS set up was a little tricky, but not impossable. recomend this phone all day long, i luv it to bits.
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Reviewed by William from UK on 4th Jan 2005
The phone is superb and had a good quality too, I've been using it for about a month now and find no problem as for Mike of England I think you are a Samsung SALES MAN not a phone user you're just using this site to promote your thing at the expense of others, your words are junk.....
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Reviewed by Jonathan Boyd from Northenr Ireland on 3rd Jan 2005
After have a NOkia 7610 there was no way I was going to get a phone with less than 1mp. The s700i is a stunning CAMERA/PHONE, thats all. Don't think your getting a PDA style phone like the p800/900 range. If you want a PDA phone then go for one of them. If however you want a fun, easy to use phone with stunning camera then go for the s700i. It has unique styling and it a dream to use. Some may find it quite large and heavy (I didn't but then again I went from a Nokia 7610) and some may find the opening of the phone annoying, it all adds to the uniqueness (!) of the phone. The fact the the max memory you can have is 32mb onboard and 128mb card is no great, I have a 128b card full of mp3s so I dont need to both with my iPod all the time. I use the onboard memory for photographs and programs (with about 5-7 items installed on the phone memory I still have room for 160 images at 1mp size). I would say get this phone, it beats the snot out of Nokia, though at the end of the days t hats not that hard...
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Reviewed by mark stratton from england on 2nd Jan 2005
fantastic phone no problems atall. camera is amazing. phone is easy to use.
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Reviewed by Nic Newman from UK - England on 20th Dec 2004
Awesome phone! I searched for a new mobile for nearly a month annoying all the staff in every mobile shop i could find! I walked into o2 and there she was the s700i jus lying there all sexy and crying out at me! The graphics are by far the best of any mobile beating the P910 by far, ringtones are wicked the whole thing SUPERB! Ignore the other reviews where it says they have had probs, not evry phone is 100% perfect in all they all have querks. I do have one point, DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE on VODAPHONE they put their own menus on and own software, which makes the phone look poo! Stick to the original menu only from o2 i think. My phone the s700i LOVE IT. The computer says no!
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Reviewed by mike from england on 19th Dec 2004
I have had 2 sony s700i and both have gone wrong apart from going wrong they are to big and bulky and when opened up they look like the old sharp vodafone live. I have since changed the handset to a samsung D500 which is superior in every way and i dont now look like a 70 s porn star when i slide it open to use the keypad do not buy a sony s700i get a samsung D500
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Reviewed by Ram from Philippines on 19th Dec 2004
Hi Im Ram from the Philippines and I say that for me the S700i is a superb phone on its class, a truly outstanding phone particularly its features. I have already used a lot of different brand and model of cell phone, but S700i WOW this the first time I am truly satisfied with a cell phone, its got everything I need and more... So all of you out there who wants an all in one cell phone? S700i is for you. The review say it all...
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Reviewed by Cally from England on 17th Dec 2004
This phone is fab, had it a few days and its great, love the speaker phone, mp3 player, great camera! only few little niggles- twice the fone vibrates a split second and the screen goes blank for a few seconds. anyone else get this?? also, is there a facility for editing pics with stamps??? i've been unable to find this facilty! further more- whats the longest video clip that can be taken??? longest i can manage is 2mins, even if put on video length 'unlimited'. overall 5* for functions, 3* for user friendliness.
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Reviewed by Tony Williams from UK on 14th Dec 2004
Wicked!State of the art technology, worth the price!
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Reviewed by Jude Ijenyo from Nigeria on 14th Dec 2004
The phone is not bad. There is need for improvement especially in the area of storage for contacts. The camera is superb and the best seen so far. I recommend it.
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Reviewed by John.L from UK on 14th Dec 2004
Superb phone, best I have every seen or used! You can use MP3 ringtones on this phone by the way. Take a look at the Sony Ericsson Developer Site and download the DRM (Digital Right Management) Packager. Run this on your PC and simply point to the MP3 file you wish to set as your ringtone. The app converts the file to a .DM format which you then copy to the phone. You now have the option to use this as a ringtone! Simple and free! Hope this helps everyone else out there that thought they couldn't play MP3 Tones! Happy Christmas! John
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Reviewed by Edwan from Malaysia on 13th Dec 2004
I've had this phone for a month now and the amount of features on this phone is incredible. The 1.3MP camera can take great pictures although you must have a steady hand. The screen is great, sound quality of the speaker excellent and some of the games have unbelieveable graphics. However, selecting from menus can be slow (1-2s) and being a Nokia convert, I tend to delete things by accident and get fustrated if pushing the wrong key. The battery life is not too great if used frequently - average about 2 days. Overall a great phone for someone who loves gadgets.
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Reviewed by bien from Australia on 12th Dec 2004
i've had the phone in less than a week. Generally eveything is ok...great camera, good screen...bundled applications are just a few but still ok... However, While i was using the bluetooth to transfer files it just hang. I decided to take off the battery to turn it off instead (you cannot use the power/off function onced it hang) but couldnt take off the cover. I spent 2 hours trying to badge out the cover but couldnt. I got really frustrated and ended up having a few scratches in my new Phone! And to top it all I had to wait for the battery to drain all its power to have it turn off on its own and plug it in the charger to restart it. The battery cover was really hard to badge out. Until now since i put in my sim card and assembled the phone when i first got it, I havent taken out the battery and sim. I hope it wont hang again or else i will be waiting for 2 hours before the battery dies down again. I dont mind if the fone keeps hanging but if i cant take out the battery to restart it.that such a big problem. I will be bringing my fone back to my dealer.
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Reviewed by Andy from England on 9th Dec 2004
Quite simply the best phone I have ever seen. I took delivery today and just cant believe how stunning it is. It looks fantastic, the build quality is excellent and the features such as radio, mp3 player, video player etc are brilliant. The display is also top notch the the camera is the best iv tried on a mobile. Well dony sony ericsson superb !!!
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Reviewed by scott b from aberdeen, scotland on 8th Dec 2004
best phone i've ever had! got a great deal with vodafone contract too. 500txt a month plus 200 anytime cross network min......£30 a month!!!! free weekend calls and mins get carried over to. got the phone for free on contract to. 150 free picture messages also. i went in to get the k700i until i seen this. get this phone!!!!! sb
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Reviewed by Shacks from UK on 8th Dec 2004
Well i got this phone about a month ago and also got one for my girlfriend at the same time and in that time her phone started giving hassles.her phone would occasionally power down by itself and then you would battle to try and turn it back on and in some cases it wouldn't turn on.she also wasn't able to recieve texts, aswell as the screen would occasionally black out then turn white ,then black then white with black stripes and white again before finally reverting to its original screen at which point it would end your phone call and end bluetooth connectivity.This not only has happened on her phone but it is now happening to my phone.I had her phone replaced in no time at all(thanks vodafone)with a brand new phone,but the new phone is starting to do the same thing.Anyone else experiencing the same problem???the only other annoying features of this phone is that one is limited to the size of the memory stick duo (128Mb) in which i contacted SE about.they stated that the phone wouldn't support the new memory stick duo pro which i found strange due to the P910i being released before the S700i with the capability to use the memory stick duo pro 1Gb.another is that i haven't been able to use my own MP3s as ringtones.last niggle is that when in camera mode there is a pixel on the screen that is always white.this is apparent on 4 of the S700i's that i have dealt with although this doesnt appear on the actual picture.Apart from these setbacks the phone has been great to use,excellant photo quality,simple menu layouts and great looks,not to mention superb TFT screen.converted nokia fan.5 stars for the phone -3 stars for the setbacks.
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Reviewed by allen jones from uk on 7th Dec 2004
this phone is by far the best phone i have ever had and that is alot. this phone has features that may seem usless like the radio, the mp3, the excess memory but i use the radio every day on the way to work and the mp3 at work(dont tell anyone;). and the desine is supurb, so easy and sleek and comfortable to hold, it is the best phone ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ----------BUY IT NOW-----------
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Reviewed by Ram from India on 5th Dec 2004
.....Need i say any more. I have actually got outstanding recepton, and when my phone broke, it was reapaired instantly by the people in the shop i bought it from. i agree with jackcaj on opening the keypad, its simple!! ************************************* if possible
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Reviewed by Jackcaj from England on 4th Dec 2004
I cant stand the rubbish written in these reviews about the opening of the key pad. I have had the phone for just under a week, and it is simple to do it with one hand. The memory on the 128 Memory Stick Duo has proved enough for me, and this is the best phone i have ever owned!!
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Reviewed by ian from england on 2nd Dec 2004
well had this phone for 1 day after having 4 k700i's that had a problem linking numbers to names in the contact list i thought i would spend a bit more on this. trouble was this phone has the same problem! wasnt impressed at all! is a great phone loved using it but seems both the 700's have a software problem with them recongising numbers in the contacts. this might just be a vodafone problem but it is very annoying! basically a great phone with poor software
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Reviewed by philsync from UK on 2nd Dec 2004
Just took delivery of my S700i & am glad that I chose this handset. The only 'problem' with mine is that it's a branded Vodafone model so the menu is biased towards their own 'live' service. Can't blame the phone for that though. Picture quality from the 1.3Mp camera is as good as I hoped it would be, colour balance is great & sound quality on FM radio with the supplied headset is superb. I managed to get the phone free as an upgrade when I asked for my pac code, they didn't even try to migrate me to a more expensive tariff so a1+ for value too. I can't understand why some reviewers claim that opening/closing the phone is a 2-handed operation, just turn the phone in the palm of your hand then swivel the screen section upwards with your thumb. It's easy when you get the technique. My fourth SonyEricsson handset is their best effort yet, buy one!
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Reviewed by Reggie from Philippines on 2nd Dec 2004
I rate the S700i outstanding because of its superb quality and features when this cell phone arrived in our country I told my self this is my kind of mobile phone. I used to have K700i but it really doesn't fit my hand specially when I use it for texting so small but with the new S700i its perfect, I recommend this dream phone to everyone replace yours with S700i and you wouldn't ask for more.
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Reviewed by Mark John Legiralde from Philippines on 30th Nov 2004
this is the best mobile phone i've ever seen. . !
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Reviewed by tehseen from mawji on 27th Nov 2004
i was using the s.e K700i before but then When I heard about the s700i and read few reviews about it, i really liked the phone n was excited to get one! and then when the s700i was released, i bought the phone n all i can say is that its da best phone of the year 2004!!! ! the picture quality is the best i can say with the 1.3 mp camera! the s700i has the fantastic battery life n its better than the K700i. in short the S700i is the best in its class n an outstanding phone!
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Reviewed by Alex from UK on 25th Nov 2004
Fantastic mobile! I had fun all day yesterday playing with all the great features. One thing though...can anybody tell me how to show the names of the person texting or phoning you?
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Reviewed by rahul from india on 24th Nov 2004
well, i was a die hard nokia fan, 7650>7250>6600 ,but then i found the monotony, all these phones had the same screen size, and sound was mono, nokia had nt changed the screen size in decades. then i found s700i, its looks were stunning,even the display was very bright and attractive. the sterio out put was loud enough,the camera quality was excellent.and all the features were real cool. the only problem , was that every time i had to message i had to swing it open, i later realized that that would cause the hinge to wear out. but the reason i gave just 4 stars lies in the fact that , after opening some applications, or surfing for long time, my phone used to restart, that was a problem for me. exept for this small problem, this using this phone was dream
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Reviewed by Jared from Australia on 21st Nov 2004
I haven't actually got this phone yet as it isn't due out in Australia till next week. But after reading other peoples review I thought I should clear something up about the phone book and the fact that you can only quickly scroll through by using only one letter. This is a firmware issue and can be fixed through an upgrade. The Demo model that the SE rep bought into my store in Brisbane's was the lastest and it let me select the first and second letter of the contact. So if your's doesn't do that. Take it to your repair centre and get them to upgrade it to the lastest firmware. It should also get rid of any bugs that you also may have found. Also if you are tossing up between the P910i and the S700i. Consider if you really think that you will use the P910i to it's full potential. I own a P900 and found that after a month or 2. I stopped using a lot of the features because I haven no use for them, like handwritting recognition, I haven't used it in months, unless I really have to, but even then I bring up the virtual keyboard. I know the P910i has a keyboard on the flip, which would definatly help. But if you don't think you would use it to it's full potential. Go for the S700i. And for all of you who are saying that it's annoying to use two hands for S700i, well the same can be said for the P910i and it requires it for more funtuctions as well. Don't get me wrong, the P910i is an awesome phone for people who need to combine a PDA with a phone. But for someone who doesn't need the functions of a PDA, who will get annoyed after while with the 2 handed operation of the phone. It is a little annoying that SE only put a Memory Stick Duo slot in there. But with the price of a 128Mb card, how much will a Gig card set you back. And I found that the 32Mb card with my P900 was enough. I might consider an upgrade to 128Mb when I get my S700i. But I can't see me using more than that. That's my 2 cents.
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Reviewed by si brett from britian on 21st Nov 2004
This phone is unbelivable it does everything including making the morning tea, and I was a nokia fan (BHOOOO). Well not anymore sony, because I get asked about this phone everytime I bring it out in a public place. People want to now what it is, camera or phone, and can't help but grab it off you and play. I love it, everyone else loves it so buy it.(just dont choose TMobile the coverage is awful, I had to change to O2).
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Reviewed by bonkers pop from uk on 19th Nov 2004
After all the hype, i finally get my hands on this superb phone. Having spent over an hour in my high street shop playing with a demo version, i am about to part with some cash to secure one of these beauts! Screen res gotta be the best i've seen! Typical SE menu system, excellent! Absolutely no function ommited ( apart from Symbian but not a big deal )! Has the look and feel of a quality item. Love the swivel ( what on earth are you guys moaning about??? ) Up to 128Mb of memory.........how much do you need? Maybe the key pad could have felt less soft. BUT...........!!! And this is a BIG 'but'. Has this phone inherited the problems of it's sibling, the K700i which i currently own? Freezing, powering down unexpectedly, and the biggest problem......stopped recieving texts ( a common fault with this model i am told ), although they do come through in 'bundles' after the phone has been re-booted ( sometimes )! I'm going to risk it and buy the s700, it's too good to miss.......... ..until the Samsung D500 is available of course!!
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Reviewed by Salvino from Belgium on 19th Nov 2004
How can a phone at this level of technology handle no more than 510 contacts in its phonebook... ! this does not make any sense. I go back to my SE P900...
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Reviewed by PrinCe from UK on 18th Nov 2004
People! TRUST ME! this is not the phone you are looking for it may seem very fantastic to have but the truth is butters. Its just that it has a 1.3 Megapixel camera. And a lot of space to store it. But if your a music fan or really like storing videos in your pphone it will become a nightmare. Compared with many 1GB Memory Cards you can buy with Nokia etc. Ever since the beginning i have had Nokia phone (since the 3210) and changed many but were all Nokias. I thouhgt it would be good getting this top of the range phone (camera). But it seems it has too many flaws in it. Keypad too soft,the buttons at the bottom confuse you wen your not looking at the keypad. Opening the keypad is lissions. because you have to use two hands to open the thing. and when open its the wrong way round so u need to rotate it from your hand 180 degrees because the screen it the wrong way round. It takes ages to open many files egh. your contacts etc. plus wen searching for a ocntact u can only press the 1st letter to jump to that section of the then u must scroll down the section to find the contact. newayz overall dis phone is not worth getting!!!!Sfe! OUT!
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Reviewed by Sue from UK on 18th Nov 2004
I'm a big fan of Sony Ericsson because of their user-friendly menus/systems. Used to only have Nokias, but now prefer SE. SE also have the most operations compared to other phones. This model has an excellent camera and screen, MP3 player and ringtones, voice recorder for recording sounds and calls, calendar alarm, timer. On that alone it would have been a 5 star. However, its really let down by the swivel opening system. When you open it, it can only be opened one way left to right. And you then end up with a phone upside down. It went back to the shop and I got the SE V800i. So you can't move from using the closed phone to the keypad without turning the phone upside down. Once the novelty wears off, it gets really annoying.
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Reviewed by Chris Momodu from Nigeria on 16th Nov 2004
S700i bought for me in Dubai on Nov 2, 2004 and as soon as I put it on, I got a "Configuration error" note, which one cant get past. I called SonyEricsson customer support and they had never heard of such a message! I have tried 3 different SIM cards Voda, Orange and MTN without any success, so what next? Looks like a great phone but I might never find out...
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Reviewed by EL YUSI from ENGLAND on 15th Nov 2004
ITS THE BEST PHONE YOU CAN EVER BUY IT HAS EVERYTHING YOU EVER DREAMED OF.
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Reviewed by paolo from philippines on 15th Nov 2004
just got the phone 3 days ago.. its superb, phone of the year!! got all i need!! i recommend u get one for yerself!!
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Reviewed by Keith Lines from United Kingdom on 13th Nov 2004
Have just taken a look at one of these and agree it looks great and seems easy to use- apart from the strange arrangement for the rotation of the screen. However, before I part with my money, I wonder if any users here have experienced problems receiving texts? I'm now on my third K700 for just this reason and don't want to be lumbered with another lemon!
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Reviewed by Arch from Scotland on 11th Nov 2004
Slightly larger and heavier than I would have liked, keypad is not ideal. Having trouble sending video clips and the maximum length of video clip you can take is 2 mins, pretty disappointing (any pointers on extending video length would be appreciated, as would turning off camera noise!). Now for the good......great quality, great screen and great looks - All in, an excellent phone packed with features!!!!
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Reviewed by Aditya from India on 10th Nov 2004
Its a good phone. I was looking for a phone that was relatively cheap and easy to use. This mobile has got everything. Trust me people, it is one of the best mobiles that has come in the markets. Well done Sony Ericsson. I for one rate this as one of a kind.
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Reviewed by Adel Asem from Kuwait on 9th Nov 2004
When I heard about the s700i and read few reviews about it, I got excited to own one. I am a p900 user and was always using a sony-ericsson phone. I was in Geneva airport on Friday November 5th 2004 and saw the new phone at the electronic duty free shop at the airport. I bought the phone there for about SF1200 (there was also the P910i available at the same price of the S700i. I was so impressed with the S700i that I decided not to take the P910i). I was on my way to London and when I arrived I immediately charged the phone to prepare it for use. After I started using the phone I learnt how a big mistake I have made because of the following reasons. 1- The phone is totally not practical for use because of the bad design. When the phone is in your hand with the keys close, you must turn the phone in your hand after you open the keys in order for the tft screen to be facing you on the right side. This is so impractical for any user and you must use two hands to rotate the phone. 2- The key bottons are soft surface and your finger can easily miss a key and your eyes must be always on the key bottons in order to know what you are dialing. 3- The last two keys at the botton are not practical. I always miss the "*" and "#" for them because of the soft surface. 4- The top section rotates for only 180 degrees on one side. You always must know the rotation direction othere wise you can break the mechanism if you rotate the cover strongly in the wrong direction. 5- A phone at this advanacement in technology can only handle 510 contact entries? I could not transfer all my contacts from the P900 to the S700i. 6- Contact which have notes were transfered with limited note size. Many of the notes were missing beacause of the limited size. 7- When searching contact for a name, only the first alphabatical letter can be searched, there is no way to search for a string of letters. I find this totally inconvenient. I do not understand what is the use of the SD memory card. If it can hold so much data why I cannot use it to hold all my contacts and notes? Because of that I decided to return the phone and get the P910i instead. I hope Sony can make more practical phones in the future, but this phone, the S700i, I think it was a mistake. Reagrds
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Reviewed by Andy from England on 8th Nov 2004
Picked up this phone last week unlocked in Singapore as a companion to my works phone, a Nokia 9210i. I agree with the others comments, but here's a few things i dont like.....you cant mute the camera shutter noise effect and only choose from 3 sounds, can't use your own sound effects for the shutter noise, It would have been nice to be also to choose your own sound for incomming messages. Symbian would have also been nice (with me used to the Nokia). Also the battery only lasts a day if your using it alot, although standby looks like to be around 3 days + ..... I just can't put it down though to find out!!! Now some good points.....picture support for GIF,JPG,BMP (maybe more!) MP3s WAVs ohhh....i love this phone! Connectivity is also excellent with bluetooth, IRD-a, Cable with all files tx/rx by any method..... Get this phone it's a gadget lovers dream come true! You will be the envy of all your friends!!!!
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Reviewed by Ashley from Notts, UK on 3rd Nov 2004
What can i say, had this phone a few days, unbelieveable! Not really sure what i can write, everyone seems to of already covered its supremacy! A word of advice, when it comes to upgrade time, just ask your network for your PAC code, they'll soon give you this phone for free, well, Vodafone did for me! :D
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Reviewed by Christian Willis from Indonesia on 3rd Nov 2004
WHAT A CELLPHONE!!!! maybe i can call it a laptop!!! amazing features , good picture!!! this could be your second girlfriend!! :-)
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Reviewed by Isabel from UK on 1st Nov 2004
I bought this phone a few days ago as a replacement for my Sharp GX10i camera phone and I certainly don't regret it! The Sony Ericsson S700i is quite simply the best phone I have ever owned by miles and miles. It is packed with features, including a Sony Memory Stick Duo slot and Bluetooth. The ringtones are very loud and are to die for! The quality is amazing and some of the built-in ringtones include human voices! As for the photo features? There are plenty, too. Features such as special effects, exposure compensation and a lamp you can switch on to help illuminate your subjects in low light, plus a large optical zoom. The camera is an amazing 1.3 mega pixels and the resultant photos are good enough to print, unlike most other camera phones. Everything about this phone is class. From the solid metal body to the huge screen and how you can answer a call simply by pressing a button - you don't need to open the phone to answer the call! Also, the phone may have loads of functions, but I'm finding that it is actually one of the simplest phones to operate on the market. I LOVE this phone to bits! Sony Ericsson deserve an award for innovation and design. :)
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Reviewed by Nicholas from England Rotherham on 1st Nov 2004
Got the phone and was amazed. its briliant in every way. The best phone out and will be the best phone for sum time. Picture quality the best you can get and best of all it looks great.
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Reviewed by Lauren from London on 29th Oct 2004
i have just upgraded to this phone from a NOKIA 6600 AND WOW what a difference!!!i love everything about this phone it is extrewmely user friendly and has fantastic battery life!!!I was worried about not having a nokia as they are very easy to use but i have had a very pleasent surprise and am so happy with this phone. The 1.3 mp camera is just fantastic it is also slimline and very light overall sony ericcson have outdone themselves this time in making the best quality camera and video phone around at the moment that does everything but wash the dishes!!! well done.
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Reviewed by F71 from Brazil on 28th Oct 2004
I just got mine during a trip to hong kong and it is great!! I agree with those who say it's not a full PDA-phone (or smartphone) like the P900, but it does have a lot of space and it runs a lot of J2ME apps, even a much better browser that the one built in. The camera is also great!! There is one extra thing, though: why embedding 32 MB on a phone and limiting the contacts to only 500 ? Why does it truncate some of the info ? with a better sync tool with Outlook, it would be perfect!!
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Reviewed by Steve from UK on 21st Oct 2004
Having struggled with the K700i and its diabolical battery endurance, here at last I have found a fabulous phone with superb build quality (Made in Japan - the K700i was made in China interestingly) and excellent battery endurance just like my old T68i had. The camera is 1.3 Mpixels, but of course it has a small aperture for large depth of field and fixed focus, so don't expect amazing pictures, although they are much better then the VGA CMOS cameras on cameras such as the K700i. One thing though, I am 41 years old and don't want my phone to ring with a song and dance, I would like it to RING!!!! Why can't Sony Ericsson include some normal rings like I had on the T68i? (I used to like the "mixed ring".) Also, it is quite a heavy phone but I don't mind that - it adds to the feeling of quality strangely.
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Reviewed by batfink from England on 19th Oct 2004
Fantastic phone! small, light, yet packed with features :0).....get one of these and you wont want another upgrade!!
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Reviewed by Steve W from England on 18th Oct 2004
I have had this phone for little over a week, and it has turned out to be exactly what I expected it to be. That is, Advanced, Stylish, Efficient, Quick - infact exactly what it says on the tin. I had a P800 before I bought this, and although I have to say that the P800 has a lot of features and downloadable utilities (all very nice and handy), when you want a phone with QUALITY utilities, then this has to be the phone for you. The camera is second to none in regards to quality. It is easy to scroll through pics and the menu is easily navigated. Quick keys are a joy when wanting access to the most used programs and the large screen just makes that easier. People say the screen is liable to be scratched because of its size, but hey, don't put it in the same pocket as key's or loose change and you wont have any problems. Overall I would agree that at present this is the most user friendly, feature packed phone on the market - all of which are functional. It is a no-nonsense pho ne which delivers on it's promises and even though you are paying top dollar for the pleasure, still a bargain. Everyone, and I mean everyone has agreed that this certainly has the wow factor. I don't seem to get any work done lately for admirers wanting a demo - here I come Sony - I want my commission!!
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Reviewed by K Saleem from UK on 18th Oct 2004
At first I was very impressed by this phone. But as I delved into the software I found that it is a Camera-Phone, as apposed to my previous mobile (P900), which was a PDA-Phone. The email system on the S700i is cumbersome and fiddly. The browser is horrible and does not display all pages - unlike the Opera browser for the P900 which was excellent at rendering even the most complex web pages to fit the size of the screen. Also I was disappointed to find out the operating system is not Symbian - thus you will not find many good games or software to put on on the S700i. However saying all this, the camera is excellent and there isnt much like it on the market. Easy to operate with good quality pictures. If you want a mobile that is also a PDA, then get the P910i, but if you want a phone that is also a camera, this is the one!
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Reviewed by jowshy from England on 13th Oct 2004
I looks the best the colour is very good its got lots of gadgets
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Reviewed by jowshi from england on 11th Oct 2004
It looks good i am getting it for crimbo i cant wait
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Sony Ericsson S700i links