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Thursday, July 01, 2004

Sony Ericsson P900

Following up on the popularity of the P800, Sony Ericsson has introduced its successor, the P900. Slightly slimmer and lighter, the new model has a gray finish and pumped-up features, such as more memory and a superior 65,536-color touch-screen display. Though much improved over its predecessor, this model could go a little further in terms of design. The smart phone is available now for a hefty $850, but we expect the price to come down when a service provider begins to carry the handset.

Design
For a smart phone, the Sony Ericsson P900 is reasonably compact, weighing 5.2 ounces--almost an ounce less than Handspring's Treo 600--and measuring 4.5 inches tall, 2.2 inches wide, and 0.9 inch deep, which is slimmer than its bulkier predecessor, the P800. The phone feels comfortable in the hand and not too awkward when held against the face. Most users, however, probably will want to use an optional Bluetooth headset when making and receiving calls.

The urban-gray P900 sports a unique design that distinguishes it from other phones on the market. Starting with its built-in camera and removable flip-down, blue-backlit keypad, this Sony Ericsson certainly has innovative elements. The real improvement here is the spacious, 16-line, 65,536-color touch screen. But you'll find more standout design elements, including the dedicated Cam button on the right side of the phone, which launches the camera application and controls the shutter release. Below that key is a user-programmable button that bears no label and a Memory Stick Duo slot that you can use to add more storage to the device.

Lining the left side of the P900 is a headset jack, an IR port, a power button, and a jog dial. While you can scroll through the mobile's menus with the jog dial, you'll find its most relevant function is controlling the phone features when the keypad is closed. Unlike its predecessor, the P900's touch screen works even in phone mode. You also can use the included stylus, which is stored at the top of the handset.

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