Unique amongst relatively cheap mobile phones, it’s aimed squarely at the green market, using eco-friendly paint, recycled plastics and a low-energy charger. Unless you’re a serious tree-hugger, though, you might find this phone a little irritating. It spontaneously erupts in slightly bossy, though well-intentioned, pop-up messages reminding you to unplug the charger from the mains, and the screen annoyingly decides to switch itself off when it feels the environment could do with a break.

However, it does have a creditable 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, and it comes with 3G and HSDPA support up to an impressive 7.2 Mbps. You’ll also find GPS, a good web browser, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a better than average music player. The 2.2 inch screen, whilst it doesn’t have the highest resolution (240X320 pixels), is perfectly adequate for the apps on offer, like YouTube. The Elm’s abundant widgets offer quick access to Facebook and Twitter but the processor is a touch under-powered and the phone feels a little sluggish at times. On the super-annoying end of the scale, though, there’s no 3.5 mm jack, leaving you to do battle with Sony Ericsson’s own proprietary port.

The Sony Ericsson X10’s most striking feature is its large, 4-inch touch screen which is brilliantly responsive while still holding great clarity in all lighting conditions. Equally impressive is the handset’s 8.1-megapixel camera, which also boasts a digital zoom, focus and white balance.

The Sony Ericsson X10 also comes with two handy applications called Mediascape and Timescape, where different pieces of information are accumulated and presented to the user in one bundle. In Mediascape, a user’s videos, photos and audio are all presented in one neat place, while Timescape collects updates from various social networking sites and presents them in one application.

Where the Sony Ericsson X10 does fall down, though, is in its functionality as an actual phone. The call quality on the X10 leaves much to be desired, while the awkward touch screen keyboard and cumbersome predictive text make writing messages a painful process. The battery life and charging times are also disappointing.

Many users are also upset with Sony Ericsson’s interpretation of Android. The company tried deliberately to alter their version of Android and make it look unique; however the end result is not on par with other Android versions on similar new mobile phones.

Pros

The C905 is about more than just a load of megapixels; there are several neat photo features.  There’s an LED light and powerful Xenon flash to help users take great shots in low lighting.  The phone also has face detection, instant red eye reduction, and image stabilisation systems that are usually found only on digital cameras.  There’s also the proprietary BestPic system and a macro mode.  HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity makes uploading to the internet quick and easy.

Cons
Due to the high resolution of pictures taken with the C905, file size is on the high end as well.  This cuts down on the phone’s battery life, and it’s significantly shorter than most other new mobile phones.  Users who employ the camera feature frequently will find they need to recharge the phone often.  Still, when one considers the excellent quality photos the phone takes, the trade-off is tolerable.

Conclusion
Users who compare mobile phones for camera capabilities are sure to be delighted with the C905.  With one of the most powerful cameras and some of the best picture quality available in a mobile handset, the C905 is miles beyond the competition despite its rather disappointing battery life.

Pros

A throwback to a time when mobile phones were meant for making calls and sending texts, the W205 has a refreshingly old-fashioned menu appearance.  There’s an element of charm in the phone’s pixellated icons and block text.

The Walkman feature performs admirably despite the limits of the bundled headphones.  There’s an integrated FM tuner and TrackID, though, which are nice to have in such a basic model.

One of the most attractive features of the W205 is its price.  For around £30 for a pay-as-you-go plan, this little phone blows many contract mobile phones out of the water.

Cons

The home panel is crammed with nearly a dozen functions in a tiny 2×5 cm space.  Small fingers should have no trouble with the tight slide-out keypad, making this a great choice for a youngster’s first mobile phone.  Large hands may struggle to press the right keys, however.  The tiny screen is also better suited to young eyes; anyone used to the larger screens of smartphones may find it almost impossible to read the W205 clearly.

The primitive WAP mobile internet access simply can’t handle photo and video uploads as fast as 3G, hampering social network connectivity.  This could be a real turn-off for teenage users.

Conclusion

The W205 is a great choice for those in search of cheap mobile phones for a youngster, as it performs basic functions well at an incredibly affordable price.

The phone has a camera which offers some editing functions and extras which make using it enjoyable.  The phone also has HSDPA which allows quick uploading of photographs to the computer or internet.  There are video functions on the camera too which allow recording and playing.  The screen offers sharp, clear and bright images. 

Google Maps is pre-installed and the phone has a GPS function.  An application called ‘NearMe’ allows quick tracing of nearby restaurants, cinemas and other businesses, though there is no Wi-Fi internet connection.  Music can be stored on the phone but there is no headphone jack or adaptor so the in-ear headphones are the only option. 

The C903 is the ideal handset for those who like a small phone which can take good photographs, but may not be the best option for internet access and emailing due to the small keypad and lack of Wi-Fi.  When using the video and camera functions the battery life is not as long lasting as it might be but otherwise this is a good phone for those who do not need too much in the way of applications. 

Sony Ericsson mobile phones are renowned for their excellent quality, especially when it comes to phones that have music players and cameras. However, the touch screen is something of a new foray for them and their previous attempts haven’t been the best. The good news is that the Satio seems to be doing a better job that its predecessors and the mobile phone reviews are good and are mostly favourable to this model. 

There is an excellent menu navigating system with the finger wipe across the screen, and we enjoyed playing with this new Sony Ericsson mobile phone.  Again this is Sony so you don’t get headphones that are compatible with anything else, however the rest of the features are good. You have Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and push email capabilities so this does allow this phone to work for both business and pleasure.  The phone shell itself is pleasing to the eye, sleek and thin, giving a good size and weight to sit comfortably in the palm of the hand.

The design is typically Ericsson and feels a little on the cheap side, as its surface is obviously one that will show up marks, smudges and scratches very quickly. To its credit, it is a slim, light phone and definitely in the compact category, and while the C903 concentrates on the camera side of things it still has a pretty decent audio player and GPS capability.

The camera has a “best shot” facility which takes nine rapid pictures at once, allowing you to chose the one you like, downloading to the Internet is also speedy and simple.

The GPS is installed with Google maps and the new NearMe app, which keeps you informed of local entertainment options, restaurants and bars, allowing you to review and comment as well.

Concerns have been raised about the size and style of the keypad, and some people think it is too small and difficult to use. There is also no Wi-Fi included and no 3.5mm jack, which is one of the bugbears of many contemporary phones today.

The Sony Ericsson C903 is a small, compact camera phone, including GPS and Google maps so you won’t get lost, and the small size makes it easy to carry around. There are however a lot of very similar phones to the C903 on the market at present.