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Sony Ericsson C902 review

Our rating

4.0 stars out of 5

User rating

3.5 stars out of 5

See all 9 user reviews

What do you think?

Verdict

The C902's 5-megapixel camera takes very good shots, but they're not quite sharp enough to rival those from a dedicated digital camera. Nevertheless, it's still a great phone that's packed with cool features and blessed with a gorgeously stylish design

Good

  • Good quality snaps
  • Slim, sexy design
  • Excellent music player

Bad

  • Sometimes sluggish response
  • Video recordings aren't great

In this review

If there's one company that has done its utmost to blur the boundaries between mobile phones and digital cameras, it's Sony Ericsson. The C902 continues this trend as it sports a 5-megapixel camera complete with face detection and autofocus.

It's available for free on all but the cheapest contracts or will set you back around £250 on pay as you go, but has it got what it takes to make you a happy snapper?

Strengths
Sony Ericsson has been producing some really stylish handsets of late and the C902 is no exception. It's very slim, measuring just 11mm at its thickest point, yet it also feels rock solid. The black and sliver colour scheme of our model looks suitable classy and there's a cool sliding mechanism -- the top part of the phone slides upward to reveal the camera lens hidden beneath.


The C902's 5-megapixel camera includes a micro-mirror for framing self portraits as well as an LED photo light. We would've liked a xenon flash

Sliding the camera open also reveals another new feature: eight touch buttons, arranged in two rows at either side of the screen giving you direct access to camera functions like flash, scene modes and face detection.

Flip the phone over and on the rear beneath the 5-megapixel sensors, you'll find a micro mirror to help you frame self portraits. Above the lens, there's an LED flash. It would have been nice to see a xenon flash instead, but you can't have everything. At least there's pretty minimal shutter lag when you go to take a snap.

The phone features the usual easy-to-use Sony Ericsson menu system so it's a cinch to operate, but there are some nice additional touches such as the built-in accelerometer. Turn the phone while viewing pictures on the screen and the handset will automatically switch from portrait to landscape mode, for example.

The onboard music player is also excellent and similar to that featured on the company's Walkman range of phones. The supplied earphones are comfortable and have good bass response, something that's often missing from cans supplied with cheaper handsets.

You get 160MB of onboard memory for storing tunes and pictures, but you can boost this further by adding M2 memory stick cards in to the slot beneath the battery cover. There's a secondary camera on the front as well as so you can use the phone to make 3G video calls. HSDPA is supported for speedy Web downloads and Bluetooth for wirelessly transferring pictures and other data to your PC or laptop.

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User reviews9

Add your review

erick_lamothe's avatar
4.5 stars out of 5

erick_lamothe 10 February 2013

Good: Superb design and features

Bad: Lack of wi-fi and HD video recording - not a smartphone

Comment: Judged in isolation and not as to whether this is a smartphone or not, this device is an excellent device which not only looks extremely elegant and appealing but is capable of taking great imagery, like its timeless predecessor, the K800. Only the lack of wifi and being considered out of date now diminishes its appeal. It was an excellent cybershot device and one of SE's best.

I own it
boxfresh2010's avatar
4 stars out of 5

boxfresh2010 20 October 2011

Good: Camera, Battery life, keypad and Size

Bad: internet connectivity, sluggish response (sometimes) cost.

Comment: this phone is very good, the battery life lasts a good 2 days without too much hassle, and internet usage although it can be quite slow/ not work. the camera is amazing and the design for flipping the camera in and out is a very good work of design. its good, clear but small screen is good, but could be bigger.
the touch screen elements for camera features are also brilliant, and the rang of colours and designs for this phone make it look like a work of art.
one of sony ericssons best!

Emaleigh' Preece's avatar
4 stars out of 5

Emaleigh' Preece 17 December 2010

Good: camera, messaging, screen, keypad

Bad: internet response, slow camera flash.

Comment: lasted me 2 years before battery imploded.

I own it

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