Experience using the Sony Ericsson K790i phone. Sony Ericsson K790i: for the first time – telephone CyberShot Applications and programs

Standard: GSM 900/1800/1900, EDGE (K790i) UMTS (K800i);
Dimensions: 105×47×22 mm;
Weight: 115 g;
Screen: 2″, 240×320, 262144 colors, TFT
Battery: Li-Poly, BST-33, 900 mAh;
Memory: 64 MB + support for Sony MemoryStick Micro (M2) cards;
Camera: 3.2 MP (resolution up to 2048×1536), with autofocus and xenon flash;
Ring tones: 72-voice polyphony, MP3 support
FM receiver with RDS support;
MP3 player;
Support for RSS feeds;
Standard organizer features.

Preface

In this material we are testing the Sony Ericsson K800i model, but all the data is relevant for the K790i: the first differs only in support of third generation networks (UMTS), instead of EDGE in the K790i, and, therefore, the presence additional camera in the speaker grille for making video calls.

Appearance and ergonomics

Compared to previous models (in particular, the K750i), the phone has become somewhat larger. The company cannot be accused of unjustifiably inflating the model, because the main reason for the change in dimensions is the display, which now has a QVGA resolution (240x320 pixels). Using a display of a lower resolution and size would be a mistake, because it will be very useful not only when using modern functions(say, for viewing websites or modern games), but also when using the phone as a camera - a compromise is impossible here, since the company positions this phone precisely as a camera phone, and for the viewfinder and viewing captured images you need the highest possible resolution.

The design of the model has changed slightly compared to the K750i. All shapes have become more rectangular, which, together with the iron speaker, the edging around the display and along the contour of the phone, as well as metallic soft keys, creates the impression of a more serious and collected device, which certainly inspires confidence. The phone has become more masculine, so it is unlikely to suit the fair sex.

It’s worth mentioning separately about the control keys. They, together with the joystick, are grouped into a single block (and not scattered, as in the K750), tightly adjacent to the display and matching its color, which looks quite stylish and harmonious. This grouping made it possible to add, in addition to traditional keys, another one - for accessing the Internet. This arrangement did not have a negative impact on usability - the keys are well felt and the percentage of misses and errors is minimal.

The digital keys are located at a slight angle, which, after a short period of getting used to, makes them quite comfortable to use. It's nice that Sony Ericsson decided to abandon the QuickShare label located at the bottom of the K700i and K750i models. It took up quite a lot of space, which in a candy bar form factor can be considered an unaffordable luxury. An additional factor that prompted the company to take this step is the different positioning of the phone: after all, now the most important thing in it is the camera capabilities, and therefore focusing on the CyberShot function is a higher priority than indicating QuickShare.

There are some very interesting buttons to the right and left of the speaker. They double as limiters, protecting the display from scratches if you place it face down, so you can use the phone for quite a long time before you try to press one of them (however, they do not activate any unique features, so in this case you will lose quite a bit). A very interesting solution.

On the left side of the phone there is a key for playing a song from the media player. If headphones are not connected, the phone will ask if you want to use the speaker. Moreover, the device will not switch to the player itself, but will simply start playing the song you stopped at last time. In this case, for a few seconds a bar will appear at the top of the screen displaying the name of the song and its artist, and then the player will work completely in background. Pressing this key again stops playback.

Next to the media player button there is a slot for a flash card. Traditionally, Sony promotes its own memory card formats, but the phone, despite its larger dimensions than the K750, uses miniature memory cards - MemoryStick Micro (M2) instead of MemoryStick Duo and Pro Duo. It is difficult to judge the justification of such a transition, and end consumers are unlikely to be completely happy with it - naturally, the cards are more expensive than their larger predecessors, and the abundance of media in different formats does not make life very easy. Although the situation is not entirely pessimistic - 1 GB cards can already be found on sale, and many products come with a special M2 adapter, which is externally identical to a full-size memory card into which a micro is inserted.

On the right side of the phone there are the now traditional volume keys, which also perform the functions of moving through the menu and zooming in shooting mode. As in previous models, when you press them in standby mode, the screen displays status information about the current profile, phone model (probably in case you forgot it), the amount of available memory, battery status (charge level in percentage, without forecast of work duration), as well as the availability of alarm clocks.

Below (especially for pressing with the index finger of the right hand when shooting) there is a shutter key. It has two stages of pressing and is used to switch to the shooting mode (when pressed fully from any state of the phone, even with the lens closed), as well as to take pictures (as in most cameras, a partial press focuses, and a full press takes a picture). At the very bottom is the IR port.

At the bottom there is a microphone and a connection port charger and a data cable, the same as in the K750i. If you are going to switch to this device from the old Sony models Ericsson (K700i and earlier), don't forget that charging has changed, so your car accessories and additional charging in the office will have to be updated.

On the back of the phone there is a speaker (the volume is normal, you can’t call it high - you may not hear some ringtones on the road), a xenon flash (we’ll talk about its advantages and disadvantages later) and a sliding camera lens cover. The lens is located on a certain protrusion (apparently, the lens itself has become quite bulky) and, together with the cover, noticeably adds thickness to the device.

When working with the phone, it fits very well in the hand, but during a conversation, because of this bulge, holding it is not very convenient - there is nothing for your fingers to rest against, you have to hold the phone quite low, by the battery compartment cover, and there is a chance that the phone It will just jump out of your hands.

However, the convexity adds a small plus to the phone (undoubtedly less significant than the minus): as you can see in the photographs, when the phone is lying “on its back”, it top part turns out to be slightly raised, that is, the phone seems to have its display facing you.

When you move the lens shutter, the shooting mode is activated, even if the phone's keyboard was locked (in this case, when you close the lens, the keyboard will return to the locked position). That is, you can switch to camera mode through the menu, using the shutter key and sliding the curtain. The curtain itself looks quite stylish, but it cannot be said that it is very convenient to use: due to its rather slippery surface, it is not always possible to quickly open the lens, over time it becomes noticeably looser, and often you can open it when not necessary (for example , taking the phone out of his jeans pocket). Finally, it is worth noting that the surface of the curtain becomes noticeably scratched over time.

The battery compartment cover opens quite simply - by pressing at the top on both sides. The phone uses a BST-33 lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 900 mAh; this battery is installed in some of the company's modern phones: W850i, W950i, M600i, W900c, W900i, V800. Of the minuses, we can say that both the battery mount and the SIM card holder put too much pressure on their holders: as you can see in the photographs, the inscriptions on the battery were erased, and the paint on the SIM card wore off after the first time.

Menu and functions

The menu is traditional for Sony Ericsson - four rows with three items each. The company is actively promoting its Internet services and is a little upset by the fact that in the main menu the entire first section is devoted to the PlayNow service, which allows you to download ringtones and other content from a special website - this service could be included, say, in the “Internet” item, and make the first position of the main menu much more useful.

Otherwise, all menu sections are quite logical - Internet, entertainment, Cyber-shot (camera), messages, player, file manager, contacts, video call, blasts, organizer and settings. Let's get acquainted with the menu structure, while simultaneously analyzing functionality apparatus.

Internet

You can get to the browser in the usual way by pressing the corresponding key on the left or select the desired bookmark from the menu quick access(via the corresponding key). It was made quite competently, no serious disadvantages could be found. You can view the site in both book and landscape orientation(and in the second case they will be removed extra panels and you will be able to use the entire screen resolution - 320x240 pixels). There are options to save the page, disable images and cookies, as well as set the required scale. The Smart-Fit feature eliminates horizontal scrolling.

Of course, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to view most modern sites crammed with graphics and animation comfortably, but with sites optimized for PDAs, of which there are quite a lot now, problems are unlikely to arise - everything will be displayed correctly and conveniently.

To demonstrate the capabilities of the browser, we can give the following example: we were able to quite quickly top up the phone account using a secure connection from the browser itself through the PDA version of the Yandex.Money website (). The ability to manage your account from your phone opens up some pretty interesting prospects.

Entertainment

Here is access to the radio, games, video player, three programs: VideoDJ, PhotoDJ, MusicDJ, the purpose of which is clear from the name, remote control computer, audio recording, as well as a short demo video explaining the phone's capabilities.

Radio no major changes compared to early models not affected: the same work in the background, RDS support, installation of presets and the ability to play radio through the speaker. As usual, the headset acts as an antenna, so the radio will not function without it.

The phone has three pre-installed games: Foto Quest Fishing (a very beautiful two-dimensional game of photographing fish - please note, you don’t need to eat or catch, just take pictures - very humane and positive), Mini Golf: Castles (three-dimensional and quite interesting golf) , WTA S.R.Tennis (famous three-dimensional tennis, installed in many phones of the company).

Of the set of VideoDJ, PhotoDJ and MusicDJ, I liked the second one the most: it offers quite a lot of possibilities for processing photos, but the rest are unlikely to be used by users often.

The most interesting thing about audio recording is the ability to record a conversation. When a large percentage of communication takes place on a mobile phone, the ability to replay the conversation can not only be useful for personal use (for example, if you need to remember the same house number), but can also serve as significant evidence of the dialogue that took place (“You say you didn’t promise me money ? Let's listen..."). In most phones, this possibility is practically not implemented: either you can record a short excerpt of a conversation, or only one side (yourself or the interlocutor), or the interlocutor will hear a characteristic signal warning him about the recording (legislation in some countries prohibits recording without the knowledge of the interlocutor), or all of this together. In the Sony Ericsson K800i, the function is implemented well - recording is not limited in time, two-way and without notification to the interlocutor. Two things are missing from complete perfection: the automatic recording function (so that during a conversation you don’t have to go to the menu. However, you can move this menu item for quick access to “My Links” and activate it before picking up the phone) and the ability to rewrite these sound files to your computer (this limitation is circumvented by transferring the recorded file to the “Call Tones” folder).

Messages

Here you can view and submit SMS messages, EMS, MMS, E-mail, and also view RSS feeds.

Email It works quite correctly both for receiving and sending, there were practically no problems with encodings. It supports working with multiple accounts, POP3, IMAP, SMTP protocols, it is possible to work over a secure connection, and you can also change port numbers. Mail can be checked automatically at specified intervals.

Especially worth noting is the RSS support. It is extremely relevant due to the wide distribution of relevant channels on the Internet (today almost every regularly updated website and blog has RSS support), as well as the minimal amount of transmitted traffic (after all, as a rule, only headers and text are transmitted). At current GPRS rates, downloading a dozen RSS feeds will cost literally a few cents, which is good news.

Navigation through RSS feeds is made quite clear (first you select a channel, then you can expand the content of the heading you are interested in), using this opportunity is a pleasure: there are no problems with the Russian language, the fonts are well chosen, the function is supported automatic update channels (if new information appears in a channel, a corresponding icon will appear in the top panel).

Player

The mp3 player is made quite well; it is possible to play sound both through a headset and through the phone speaker. A simple equalizer, the ability to create playlists - in a word, it will be enough for unpretentious users. I liked the fact that when starting songs, a smooth increase in volume is used, fade in (when stopping playback - fade out) - very useful when using both a speaker and headphones (you won’t have to shock either others or your ears).

Well, of course, if you are going to use your phone to listen to music, immediately purchase additional card memory - 64 MB is unlikely to satisfy even the most unpretentious users.

Camera

Below are the raw photos, taken by phone at automatic settings(the first four), in document shooting mode (5 and 6) and macro (7 and 8).

As already noted, in order to get into camera mode, you can use the menu, the shutter button, or simply move the camera curtain. The phone has a very clear settings menu, and the most frequently used functions (image size, focus, flash mode and some others) are duplicated in the numeric keypad, that is, they can be changed by pressing the corresponding number, rather than moving through the menu, which greatly simplifies work in conditions where you don’t want to spend a lot of time on a photo.

Now let's take a look at the shooting settings options in the same order in which they are located on the phone.

Shooting mode
- Ordinary
- BestPic. Unlike panoramas and frames, this is extremely useful feature, which will surely appeal to many users. By pressing the shutter once, the phone takes a series of nine photos in a second, after which you can mark the ones you want to keep (from zero to nine). BestPic will be very relevant in almost all cases: when taking pictures of moving objects, when shooting portraits (so as not to redo the frame if the person blinked), and also in low light (so that the picture does not turn out blurry due to a trembling hand).
- Panorama. In panorama mode, you take three pictures sequentially from left to right, which are “stitched” into a single frame. The function is interesting, but not very useful: for truly spectacular panoramas you need professional equipment and a tripod, and the phone is unlikely to produce high-quality photographs - it is almost impossible to avoid noticeable joints between frames.
- Framework. Overlaying various hand-drawn pictures as a background. After playing with a feature a few times, you will most likely forget about it.
Shooting conditions
- Automatically
- Landscape at dusk
- Portrait at dusk
- Landscape orientation
- Portrait orientation
- Beach/snow
- Sport
- Document
Image Size
- 3 MP. Using lower resolutions, of course, only makes sense if you save space.
Focusing
- Automatically
- Macro
- Infinity
Photoflash
- Disabled
- Automatically
- Reduced red-eye effect. Dual flash is used.
Auto timer
Effects
- Disable
- Black and white
- Negative
- Sepia
- Overexposure
White balance
- Automatically
- Cloudy
- Fluorescent lamps
- Incandescent lamps
Measurement mode
- Ordinary
- Center
Image quality
- Normal
- High
Shutter sound (4 options)
Time and date on the photo
File counter
Save location

The ability to record videos is poorly implemented - with this positioning of the phone and a three-megapixel camera, the resolution of 176x144 pixels, 10 fps is simply no good. If there had been a decent video recording capability, the device would have received an additional and very significant competitive advantage.

I'm especially pleased with the preservation of the sequence of images after deletion. That is, if you took a hundred frames, copied them to your computer and deleted them from your phone, the next pictures will start with number 101, and not with the first one. Very convenient for active use.

Unfortunately, the K800i, unlike the K750i, does not have a flashlight. Users will react differently to the absence of this simple feature - some don’t need it at all, but for others it can be a serious disadvantage. This is explained not by the whim of the company, but by the design of the flash - unlike the K750i, it is xenon (which is used in conventional cameras) and is designed for pulsed light.

File Manager

Navigating through files is quite comfortable, it is possible, without switching to other programs, to play melodies and mp3s, and also, which is very important, to open text files, including in Russian, as shown in the photo.

Directly from the dispatcher, you can send the necessary files in a convenient way (via MMS, E-mail, Bluetooth and via infrared). Sorting by name, date, file type and size is supported.

Video call

We will skip the capabilities of this menu item, since in our latitudes it is completely irrelevant.

Challenges

The call list is traditionally divided into categories: all, received, outgoing and missed. Nothing new was implemented, everything was as usual.

Organizer

Here you can access alarm clocks, applications, calendar, tasks, notes, synchronization, timer, stopwatch, calculator and code memo. In short, the standard set of a modern functional phone. The alarm clocks are especially pleasing: now there are five of them, they can be configured to go off once or repeatedly, and any melody or mp3 can be used as a signal.

Options

All phone settings are located here, they are grouped into five categories: general, sounds and signals, display, calls and communications. There is no point in going through each setting item - they are all obvious and understandable.

Results and prices

During work, I encountered an annoying bug - sometimes the phone did not automatically connect to the Internet: for example, you press a button to send and receive mail, the phone shows that it is busy searching for a server, but the image of the globe does not appear in the top panel, so the phone takes a long time and tries to complete the task to no avail. This can only be fixed by rebooting. We also encountered the usual freezes - the phone stopped responding to any actions, we had to remove and reinsert the battery. Let's hope this is a shortcoming of this particular test model; it is not intended for commercial use.

In general, the phone turned out to be decent and harmonious - the capabilities are at a very good level, there are practically no shortcomings, the design is quite stylish and at the same time classic - most users will certainly like it. In general, the prospects for this model are very good.

You can hardly expect a quick reduction in the price of the phone, because this is a top model in its segment that will definitely find its buyer, and the company’s portfolio has a sufficient selection of devices for the mass consumer.

Surely many readers are interested in the question of choosing between the K750i and K790i/K800i: which phone to buy and whether K750i owners should buy a more expensive model. By and large, the new product does not have any revolutionary differences from its predecessor. Yes, it is more attractive (of course, this is a subjective point of view), has an improved camera, a higher-resolution display, some new features (in particular, an RSS reader), in a word, it is improved in almost all respects. But some kind of giant leap that could open up fundamentally new horizons for using the phone (which happened, for example, when phones with built-in cameras appeared, or when they crossed the megapixel line) did not happen. At the same time, at the time of publication of this article, the K790i/K800i is approximately twice as expensive as the K750i.

So if the price of a phone plays an important role in your choice, and functionality is fundamentally important, and not the fact of having the top model, it’s worth purchasing the K750i. If a model that is twice as expensive does not scare you away, then you will get a device that is improved in many respects, but not revolutionary.

It is worth carefully choosing between the K790i and K800i models. Despite almost equal prices, it may seem that it is better to purchase the K800i, since the model has a higher index and supports third-generation networks. However, we should not forget that in our country the possibilities of working in UMTS are unlikely to be useful in the near future, but EDGE, present only in the K790i, has been working in the capital for quite a long time. So, if you often access the Internet via your mobile phone, you should opt for the K790i.

The phone was provided for testing
by Sony Ericsson

The Cyber-shot digital camera and a small and sophisticated phone, equipped with EDGE technology and many functions, are combined in one device. Carry the K790i with you and the 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, photo and video stabilization and built-in xenon flash will be at your fingertips at any time. BestPic technology allows you to quickly capture a series of frames with one press of a camera key. Choose the best. Delete the rest. Camera stabilization compensates for small hand movements when taking photos and videos. You can immediately show the photograph you take to your friends and family. using Bluetooth and multimedia messages, and upload it to a web log.

According to ZOOM.Cnews readers
Sony Ericsson K790i:

Ergonomic, functional, affordable, has a capacious battery, has a good camera, masculine, beautiful, can be a replacement for a player, heavy.

CHARACTERISTICS

ergonomic

Functional

Affordable

Has a capacious battery

Has a good camera

Male

Beautiful

Can be a replacement for the player

Easy

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MAIN TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Nutrition

Battery capacity: 950 mAh Battery type: Li-polymer Talk time: 7 h Standby time: 350 h

Additional Information

Features: photo and video stabilization function; Date of announcement: 2006-02-01

General characteristics

Type: phone Weight: 115 g Control: joystick Case material: plastic Case type: classic Number of SIM cards: 1 Dimensions (WxHxT): 47x105x22 mm SIM card type: regular SAR level: 0.5

Screen

Screen type: color TFT, 262.14 thousand colors Diagonal: 2 inches. Image size: 320x240 Pixels per inch (PPI): 200

Calls

Type of melodies: 72-voice polyphony, MP3 melodies Vibrate alert: yes Melodies editor: yes

Multimedia capabilities

Camera: 3.20 million pixels, 2048x1536, xenon flash Camera functions: autofocus, PictBridge support, digital Zoom 16x Video recording: yes (QCIF, 3GP) Max. video resolution: 176x144 Video playback: 3GP, MPEG4 Audio: MP3, AAC, FM radio Voice recorder: yes Max. video frame rate: 10 fps Games: yes Java applications: yes

Connection

Interfaces: Bluetooth, IRDA, USB Internet access: WAP 2.0, GPRS, EDGE Standard: GSM 900/1800/1900 Synchronization with a computer: yes Use as a USB drive: yes Modem: yes Connector for external antenna: yes Protocol support: POP/SMTP, HTML

Memory and processor

Number of processor cores: 1 Built-in memory capacity: 64 MB Memory card support: micro Memory Stick Memory card slot: yes

Messages

Additional functions SMS: text input with MMS dictionary: yes

Other features

Speakerphone (built-in speaker): yes Airplane mode: yes A2DP profile: yes Audio coding modes HR, FR, EFR: yes

Notebook and organizer

Organizer: alarm clock, calculator, task scheduler Book search: yes Exchange between SIM card and internal memory: There is Basic specifications

Screen
Screen	TFT
Diagonal	2 "
Color rendition	262144 colors
Permission	240 x 320 pixels
Call and multimedia
FM tuner
Data transfer
Bluetooth
Infrared port
Email client
GPRS
MMS
Camera and video
Number of pixels	3.2 million pixels
Battery
Talk mode	7 hours
Standby mode	350 h
Dimensions and weight
Width	47 mm
Height	105 mm
Thickness	22 mm
Weight	115 g

Appearance

The back of the case is made of a material that is pleasant to the touch, thanks to which the phone is protected from scratches - no defects have appeared over the entire period of operation, there are no abrasions or any other external damage, despite the active use of the device.

One of the most controversial design elements of the K790i is the camera shutter. On the one hand, this element bears a stylistic resemblance to Sony cameras, on the other hand, the camera lens is reliably protected from scratches and dust. This is where the positive characteristics of this design element end; then a few words about the disadvantages.

The curtain is made of a material that quickly becomes covered with scratches: they appeared just a couple of weeks after purchase. There are no deep scratches, but soon you simply stop paying attention to small ones. In general, it would be possible to make a curtain from a material similar to that from which the front part of the body is made; this is some kind of metal alloy that is resistant to aggressive environmental influences. But, alas, what is, that is, the curtain, in my opinion, is one of the weakest elements of the design, in addition, the opening-closing mechanism quickly becomes loose, and a noticeable backlash appears. Over time, it does not increase, which is good news.

In general, for me, the ideal design of the curtain is the one used in the Sony Ericsson W800i/700i (this also includes the design of the K500, K600, W550, P990) - the curtain is compact and does not stick out. Again, it is almost impossible to open it when you take the phone out of your jeans pocket, and in the case of the K790i this is not uncommon; often the phone is taken out into the light with the curtain half-open.

The camera shutter button located on the right side of the phone has also lost its former luster - the key has scuffs.

I really liked the phone's screen: thanks to the mirror backing, it remains readable in sunny weather (the predecessors of the S700i and W900i were no different in this), in addition, the display has become brighter. I would also like to make a positive note about the screen coating: it is resistant to scratches, there has been no damage so far. Of course, I would like a screen larger than the current one (S700i had a size of 2.2 inches, W900i - 2.1 inches, K790i - already 2 inches), again, there is also free space. We can only hope for a future flagship, since the phone is no longer only a means of communication, but also a device for surfing the Internet, watching movies, and reading books. And a large screen is vital for these purposes.

Now a few words about the joystick, which has become the talk of the town.

Problems with the joystick have been known since the days of the T610 (I won’t list the entire model range, but I had problems with the joystick in the mentioned T610, and in the K700i, and in the W800i, and currently in the K790i). In my device, glitches (by which we mean inappropriate behavior of the joystick when I press to the right, but instead it works as an “enter”) appeared a couple of months after the purchase. I clean the joystick periodically; some say that the problem is in the software, others in the mechanics, but this doesn’t make it any easier for me: sometimes it becomes very inconvenient to type text. For example, in a word being typed, after the letter “m” comes “n”, in order to type the text faster and not have to wait the few seconds that pass when selecting the letter that needs to be entered into the text, I press the joystick to the right, but instead it works as “Continue” ” and offers to send a message. Naturally, you can wait, but there are situations when you need, for example, to make a quick call, but the joystick also acts inadequately and instead of scrolling down the list of subscribers, phone book can work as “Call”, which is very, very inconvenient.

Since we're talking about typing, we can't help but talk about the keyboard. In my opinion, it is quite convenient, although some note that the key block is understated. Who cares, it’s a matter of habit. I recently noticed that the coating is peeling off the “3” and “6” keys... so far everything is fine with the rest, it’s not clear what caused this - it’s not clear if the paint peeled off evenly, but here it’s only on two selected ones.

Separately, it is worth noting the block of soft keys, as well as the Internet browser and Activity menu buttons. The auxiliary buttons are small in size, but there are no complaints about this part, everything is convenient. We can also note the fact that people who have not previously encountered Sony Ericsson products are somewhat perplexed when they do not see a green button for calling and a red button for hanging up. It's a matter of habit.

Another point related to text, or more precisely, SMS. The K790i, as you know, is made on a new platform, one of the features of which is the ability to store in the phone’s memory not 200 messages, as before, but 1000. Everything would be fine, but when the memory is full, the phone begins to slow down, the list of messages scrolls more slowly, of course, you can erase messages more often, but the problem seems to be with phones with QVGA screens (240x320 pixels), I tried to reset messages to the maximum on the K610 (there were almost 1000 SMS in memory) - everything worked very quickly, without the slightest delay.

Multimedia

Although the phone does not belong to the Walkman family, which is focused on high-quality music playback, it is nevertheless quite good in this regard. The built-in player does not have a lot of settings (there are only four of them, you can adjust the sound to personal preferences), but, in general, the player is good. The phone uses a proprietary headset HPM-70 (black), which has a 3.5 mm jack that allows you to attach your own headphones. The phone cannot boast of anything special in terms of music playback; comparing it with the same W850 in this regard is pointless, there is a new version of the player, and the sound already claims to be something, with the K790i everything is somewhat simpler in this regard. The sound is quite loud; in the subway you can listen to music at about 80 percent volume.

Speaking about the player, I can’t help but mention the HBH DS-970 stereo Bluetooth headset. It worked fine with the phone. Auto-connection is supported (convenient - just turn on Bluetooth on your phone, and the working headset connects to it itself). The sound of the headset, according to subjective sensations, is similar to the HPM-70. The only disadvantage I can include is the impossibility of auto-answering; this, of course, is inconvenient; every time you have to either press the headset button or reach for the phone. It is also not possible to broadcast the melody assigned to the subscriber every time incoming call a standard trill is heard - it also doesn’t turn out very interesting, the company has something to work on. From design features Accessory It should be noted that there is no fastening; a clothespin could be provided. When walking fast (it is generally impossible to run with it, it sways from side to side), the headset begins to dangle back and forth, you have to hide it under your jacket, but then it is no longer possible to remotely switch songs and answer calls without taking out the phone. In addition, during operation in the autumn-winter period (by the way, there was no particular cold), the braid on the headset burst. Again, the operating time will suit only those who don’t listen to music very much - the headset worked for up to 4-5 hours, which is not enough. But overall, I liked the device.

Many people complain that the phone does not read Russian tags. The problem can be solved simply: for example, we take iTunes and change the encoding in it - voila, here we have Russian letters instead of krakozyabr.

Among the design features, we can note the presence of a Play-pause key on the left side. Thanks to this button, you can listen to songs without opening the player - just press this key and the music will start playing. There is also a customization option: we either continue listening to the last song, or the phone turns on the radio or player, depending on what we listened to last time. Another nice thing: when the player is minimized, the current song is displayed on the phone screen as a creeping line if you switch a track or start playing it (switching between songs is done using the volume keys).

I can’t say anything about the radio, I don’t use it. There is RDS, it catches normally. Oh, yes, with a headset connected, the radio can be set as an alarm clock.

When talking about the role of a phone as a player, we cannot fail to mention memory cards. The phone began to use a new card format – Memory stick micro (M2). I won’t go into technical details; for the average consumer, changing formats means, first of all, that when switching, for example, from K750 to K790i, he is forced to change the memory card. There is enough built-in memory (about 80 MB), but living without a card is not very fun. If you use your phone as a multimedia device, you will have to buy a card urgently: a picture in maximum resolution “weighs” about 700-800 KB. Ultimately, I reached a volume of 2 GB (there were 512 MB and 1 GB), there were no problems with the cards, the first two were made by Sony, the last one by Sandisk. I liked the fact that the kit comes with an adapter not for regular Memory Stick, and on Memory stick duo, thus, the card can be used in both older types of phones and photographic equipment.

So far, the cost of the cards is quite high, the difference in price between the old and new generation cards is significant (the original Sony Memory Stick 1 Gb costs about 900 rubles, M2 - 1500, “regular” 2 GB - 1700, M2 - 2600). The difference is obvious.

You can also watch movies using your phone. Of course, the screen is not the most suitable for these purposes, it is too small, but from the technical side there are no complaints: the phone shows 240x320 30 fps movies without any “brakes”. The only issue is some “thoughtfulness” when entering the video player menu. When there are several dozen videos on a card, the phone may take some time to process them.

The current firmware is R1GB001, which has the ability to preview video files in the Gallery when the selected object starts playing. I have never seen this on devices from other manufacturers.

The phone turned out to be quite durable; on average, it lasts a couple of days on one charge: 5-20 minutes of calls, 30-60 SMS, an hour or two of players, plus Internet and ICQ. I conducted an experiment: in Jimm the phone worked for about 14 hours until it was completely discharged - a very good result. The speaker is weak, you have to talk at maximum volume. I would also like the ringer to be louder.

Photography

Key Feature This device is its camera. The manufacturer offers the K790i as a “double-sided classic phone“, that is, on one side there is a telephone, on the other there is a camera.

One of the factors in purchasing this phone was the camera. You can debate for a long time whether a phone needs a camera or whether it’s evil, but I made a choice for myself: it’s better to have a phone with a good camera than without one at all. Even Nokia, which started releasing the “orthodox” Eseries, devoid of cameras (the E70 had a camera, but in general the line was promoted as an office tool, where the camera was an unnecessary attribute; the lack of photos did not particularly affect the price), is now rebuilding its line.

Over the entire period, about 3,000 photos were taken from the phone; on the computer, the number of photos saved takes up about 800 MB. Several dozen photographs were printed, their quality is quite comparable to an inexpensive camera, pictures are especially good in sunny weather, macro photography is traditionally good, and it turns out to be very good at photographing flowers. In student life, and even in the harsh everyday life of the office, photographing documents has come to the rescue more than once. The pictures come out excellent, the text is easily recognized by the appropriate programs and converted into Word format. There is an interesting option to send a recent photo to your blog directly from your phone, but after sending a few pictures, I abandoned this idea.

Separately, it is worth noting the xenon flash. Thanks to it, the quality of shooting in the dark has significantly improved. Previously, a proprietary accessory MXE-60 could be used for these purposes - a flash attached to the phone via a standard connector. All characteristics and capabilities of the camera were described in the corresponding review; there is nothing to add here.

I would also like to say about the quality of the video recording: it is very bad. For budget phones, nothing yet, but the flagship, even if it is not offered as a phone for video recording, like the Nokia N93, could be equipped with higher characteristics: still, video recording at the level of the K700i three years ago will not at all please the owner who often uses this function. Competition in model range anyway, no: the W900i has long been discontinued, and the P990i is aimed at a different sector of the market.

Applications and programs

The main tool used is the wonderful program My Phone Explorer, the current version is 1.5.9. Thanks to it, it is possible to fully synchronize your phone with your computer: contacts, SMS, notes, reminders, call history, as well as other data can be saved in it. It is possible to work with the phone's memory and memory card, and downloading applications to the phone is supported. Even the phone's charge level and signal reception are displayed! Again, communication with the phone is possible both through the cable that comes with the phone and via Bluetooth.

To convert video files, I use the Winavimp4 converter program, a simple utility that converts videos for both iPod and PSP. There are a lot of 240x320 videos on the Internet, but in smartphone avi format, so you just need to download the video file you like and with the help of this small program in a few minutes we have a ready-made file for viewing on regular phone

For those who love creativity, there is the Sony Ericsson Themes Creator program ( latest version– 3.10), with its help you can independently create a theme for any Sony phone Ericsson, you just need to choose a model. The program has the ability to preview themes, as well as image sizes for each model.

Among the applications installed on the phone, it should be noted Opera mini, which has more than once come to the rescue when there is no computer and Jimm (0.5.2) at hand. In general, life can be divided into 2 stages: before the appearance of these applications and after. Previously, it was impossible to imagine that a telephone would replace a computer; I have been using these two applications for two years now, and thanks to the multitasking of the K790i, I can simultaneously chat via ICQ and surf the Internet.

You can use the built-in Photo DJ program to edit photos, but I prefer full-fledged Photoshop on the computer if I really need to correct something from the footage.

The new SE now has the ability to flash firmware via GPRS: now, to update the software, you don’t have to go to a service center or use SEUS (Sony Ericsson Update Service) on your computer, the phone can independently search for new software every month, and if it is found, it will offer the owner to update the firmware; convenient feature.

Conclusion

What can I say finally? The model turned out to be very successful, to some extent its popularity was influenced by the next Bond series released at the end of last year, I often hear: “Oh, this is James Bond’s phone!” – although mine is black, not silver, as in the story. The device combines everything you need: great camera, good player, multitasking. The model is liked by both schoolchildren and adults, everyone who loves technology and new technologies.