Sony Ericsson K800 review: Digicam in disguise

26 June 2006
Sony Ericsson K800 is one of the handsets we were so anxious to test that we could hardly wait for the phone to be brought in the office. Its highly advertised Cyber-shot camera made us as restless as kids on Christmas morning. Once we got it and before we started working on this review we spent a good deal of time experimenting with the exciting 3.2 megapixel camera. Not that we haven't seen a better camera, no! The thing is that this good camera just happens to be a good mobile phone, too.

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  • j
  • jay - mak
  • RNF
  • 06 Jul 2006

well done. this is the final positive note i needed to see to confirm my position with this phone. purchase is now imminent.

    • r
    • raks
    • M{3
    • 04 Jul 2006

    how many sms messages the phone can store, k750i was able to store only 150 sms messages . is it the same or unlimited ???

      • B
      • Bong
      • wYF
      • 04 Jul 2006

      What are the chances that SE will release a better phone than the K800 in a few months? I have a feeling that the other phone companies will soon release new phones with superior cameras (4mp+) and such, then SE will have to match those with a K850 or something like that. The 1.3mp generation lasted long, and the 2mp generation did well enough, but the 3mp set might be skipped over easily.

        • G
        • Greg
        • wYF
        • 03 Jul 2006

        I think the K800's real competition will be the n73. They're both so similar in specs and size. The n93 will appeal to a different audience, the ones who don't mind have a huge and bulky phone. I myself am still deciding between the n73 and the K800. I'm just a little worried that the n73 will have a slow interface and weak battery, which are the two things SE phones have always managed to avoid.

          • T
          • TM
          • S1M
          • 03 Jul 2006

          Haha Tarantula, you are a big SonyEricsson lover and to the death fan :)
          Why want you so much that SE beat the other brands?
          Can't you just simply buy the best phone that suits you (even if it is not SonyEricsson)? :D

            • T
            • TM
            • S1M
            • 03 Jul 2006

            I agree that Nokia and SE are the phone manufacturers which products are worth looking at. I had Sony CMD J5 way in the past and it was great phone. Than I had Nokia 3650, 6600 and now N70. For a short time I had SE K700 but I get rid of it very quickly. The phone was extremly slow. As a smartphone owner I now can't imagine having a nonsmartphone phone. The only competition from SE side is the P series (and now M600 and W950) But stil I can't see the great technical leadership of SE. In two months both P990 and N93 will be available and then I will decide whether to choose bigger screen with touch snsitive layer (but touchscreen is not so important to me) or better camera & video, 330MHz with graphic acceleration and future N-Gage games compatibility. The new HTC looks also nice.

              • T
              • Tarantula
              • P9n
              • 03 Jul 2006

              The problem with nokias fans is: they are proud of nokia n93 because is the first phone that can beat SE in all aspects since years ago (since ericsson t39), they dont view that n93 isnt released yet, and the mobile-review´s comparisson was made with beta firmware in both models.
              The n93 isnt a competitor to K800 because exist a big difference between both phones starting in price tag and ending in feature set.
              Both phones only 2 things in common: 3.2MP camera and UMTS.
              K800 is a camera phone that has a lot of features and great battery life (for me is really important in a phone) while n93 is a smartphone, and for sure with really poor batt life (the same case with n80)
              I am sure about the future SE handycam phone (the real competitor of n93) will beat your glorious n93 in all aspects, if it is a smartphone can you imagine the phone´s potential (with UiQ, touchscreen) to control the video recording function with touchscreen like latest handycam video cameras and including into phone all handycam tech.
              Simply nokia will work hard to equal SE basically because nokia only make phones, no more, while SE have all tech available of their partners (sony and ericsson) and they could put into future phones.
              You can view this tendency with walkman series and k800 (first cyber-shot phone) and you will view this fact in the future.

              Only wait nokia lovers, but wait in silence please because your comments are absurd and lack of arguments

                • A
                • Adnan
                • SkE
                • 02 Jul 2006

                I don't understand why people don't look into the policy of Nokia that they just look of making money by using almost the same features boards & chips, what kind of technology is this, most of the smart phone have firmware problems, where is the testing team??? But SE always gets something different we cant say that there all phones are better than nokia but they provide something which competes or sometimes is much better like p910i nokia had nothing better than that & now p990i with hell of new features but the almost the same size & weight. K800 is a quality product, hi-tech features packed in a small device.

                  • S
                  • Stryker
                  • Pqg
                  • 01 Jul 2006

                  Since im not a die-hard Nokia or SE fan i can give my objective point of view:

                  N93 pics are as a matter of fact much better than the ones taken bye the K800... like it or not, dont blind yourselves people its proven in the mobile-review article.

                  As I see it... both phones have pros and cons. And basically if SE wanted to implement wi-fi, 30 fps DVD quality video recording and all those functions into k800... it would probably be as big as N93, but those guys at SE are not stupid, they didnt do so to prevent the price tag to go as high as heaven.

                  Nokia N93 beats K800 in: picture quality,video quality, functionality, performance and specs, optical zoom.

                  While K800 beats N93 in: flash, size, weight, price.

                  The only thing id really complain about are those infamous joysticks that SE produces... i had a k700 and i really liked the phone, but that damn thing broke after just 3 weeks of regular (not intensive) use.

                  You guys go buy the phone you like the most and enjoy it, if you buy something you dont like... then you're screwed.

                  Take care readers

                    • D
                    • DrSilverworm
                    • Yhd
                    • 01 Jul 2006

                    TM, not sure if you realize this but the n93 is significantly larger than the already ginormous n90. Compare the 2 phones on gsmarena and you will see. Cameras are pretty much identical (kind of sad nokia needs such a large module to achieve this), minus the flash. Price for nokia will be $900 plus dollars, while the k800 is going for less than $600. Not to mention we are comparing the k800 with a phone that is NOT EVEN RELEASED YET, and not anytime soon to speak of (anyone know the n93 release date?). And if you think it isn't already massive, try looking at it when it's open.. it doubles in length, freaking scary as hell. Making a call on it, you will just look stupid: even though the phone is immensely high-tech, it's ridiculous size suggests old technology. Not only that, but the phone has glass lens, and a rotating screen.. Guaranteed not nearly as durable as k800i.

                      • T
                      • TM
                      • S1M
                      • 01 Jul 2006

                      N90 is not that big, in fact compared to the K800 (photo on mobile-review) SE is only little smaller.
                      I don't like small phones and the size of N93 is acceptable for me. N93 makes much better photos than K800 and if you can't see it you're blind. Macro and lowlight pics are significantly better. But K800 wins in flash. And of course the fact that it has symbian OS is big plus for me. So I choose N93 because its better not because of its barnd.

                        • K
                        • KtMw
                        • nbk
                        • 30 Jun 2006

                        Hi,
                        i have read your oppinions, and it's interesting to see that people are still divided in two sides:

                        Nokia's side is the same as 5 years ago,at that time they were teaching Siemens,SE and Motorola how to MAKE a good phone,and they were right;

                        but then things has changed, nowadays they are learning from SonyEricsson how to make a good camera.

                        Nokia forgot that some of us want to have phone equipped with everything and that could be put in my pocket,because I don't want to transport my new Nokia N93 in the rucksack=)

                        Time will show us the winner of this contention.

                          • m
                          • meooo
                          • mJU
                          • 29 Jun 2006

                          hi every body,,,, im using w900i right now and i need to know the price of k800i ....plzz casue theres no much defereance between them just the 3MP camera and i dont need it cause i have 7.1 MP cyber shot camera but im really waitng for w850i so

                            • P
                            • Pat
                            • BPV
                            • 29 Jun 2006

                            N93 is not good as the review

                            1. N93 is much more bigger, very heavy and bulky
                            2. Bug is very classic problem for Nokia
                            3. Flash is not powerful as the one for K800i (xenon flash)
                            4. N93 lack of image stabillizer, taking photo at night will be difficult, K800i has it
                            5. N93 will have battery life much shorter than K800i

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • PVt
                              • 28 Jun 2006

                              hi every ony.really i love this phone.it is great step of SE.and i think it is better then nokia ugly,stupid n93

                                • N
                                • N93
                                • M%E
                                • 28 Jun 2006

                                Mr. K800, you need to do some more reading. N80 has a cellphone camera module, whereas, N93 has a camcorder camera module with CARL ZEISS tehnology. This is a big difference. I will save my breath, your lack of knowledge is depicted in your post. You go buy the K800 for its Flash and I will buy the N93 for its 30 fps dvd quality recording,gorgeous photo capability, pdf, office, GPS (yes with a small Nokia Sirfstar III module GPS works like a charm), Wi-Fi, etc. Most of you here are in denial and only a blind person would say the K800 pics are better.

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • n9k
                                  • 28 Jun 2006

                                  hey ppl talking about the N93!!
                                  dont u know the BiG defferince !!!!!!?????
                                  K800\K790 can be put in ur pocket !!!
                                  its a compact device equiped with all , unlike the n93
                                  n93 is a very BiG device , i wont buy it even if it`s @ 1 US$ !!

                                  be wise people , nokia is f***ing with you !!

                                    • S
                                    • SONY FREAK
                                    • n9k
                                    • 28 Jun 2006

                                    Another quality Product from Sony Cyber-Shot range
                                    this camera includes a mobile phone , mp3 player & a lot more

                                    what a gre8 camera !
                                    thnx sony for not making your consumers down(Y)

                                    go to hell zokia (N)

                                      • M
                                      • Mr K800
                                      • myc
                                      • 28 Jun 2006

                                      Mr N93... what are you chatting about... you say that the camera on the n93 is alot better than the unit installed on the N80... did you not know that it is the same spec 3.15 megapixel that comes on the N80??? Read the review comparing the n80 to the k800, clearly showing that the camera in this is the same as the n93.

                                        • a
                                        • aaa
                                        • U2T
                                        • 28 Jun 2006

                                        Max,
                                        There is full screen video playback. The only reason why there are black borders around the video in some screenshots, is that the resolution that the K800 records in is lower than the resolution of the screen.