Sony Ericsson K700 review: A winner

Sony Ericsson top-class products regularly achieve the best score in our mobile chart, which our editorial team compiles on the benchmark basis. Starting with the R520 model, over T68, T610 and T630, up to the new Sony Ericsson K700: all these mobiles took first place. But though in the past they had a pretty nice distance from the second mobile in the top-list, nowadays they're quite even. Nokia 6230 (2nd in the top-list) is only by one percent behind Sony Ericsson.

Click on the thumbnails for full resolution pictures.

   
Official pictures of Sony Ericsson K700

Sony Ericsson K700 is a top-class mobile phone. S700, the higher-class model will come on the market in the autumn, but currently there are only two smarter phones available. The producer introduced K700 this March.

  
Our pictures of Sony Ericsson K700

The controversial point is whether K700 is a successor of the contemporary highest model T630 or not. Personally, I am inclined to the first possibility. K700 derives from the Sony Ericsson T630 mobile phone, bringing at the same time new features and functions to life. The starting price is about the early price of T630. Undoubtedly, Sony Ericsson will continue to prepare better phones, but nowadays K700 is the reasonable successor of the previous top-class phones.

The K700 predecessors

The first question from our readers should be raised here. In the review we use only the simplified name K700, though users have maybe seen K700i mobile somewhere and K700c mobile elsewhere… We simplify, but our intentions are good. In Europe you can meet only the international K700 model and the "c" version has been designed specially for China. It has different key printmaking, different fast messaging dictionary and less memory due to the Chinese language support, most likely. So, when we write about the K700 mobile phone in the review, we mean the K700i model.

As appearing from the number of review readers, Sony Ericsson K700 is one of the most expected mobiles this year. We have noticed also a strong interest towards the Nokia 6230 mobile phone and we expect that Siemens S65 will be attractive as well.

Reasonably Small

Comparing to other mobile phones Sony Ericsson K700 is small (99 x 46 x 19 mm) and lightweight (93g), but we can't say that it is "very small" and "very light". Here you can find a table with the comparison of K700 and other phones of the same class.

Phone	Size	Volume	Weight
Sony Ericsson K700	99 × 46 × 19 mm	93 cm3	93 g
Sony Ericsson T630	102 × 43 × 17 mm	75 cm3	93 g
Nokia 6230	103 × 44 × 20 mm	97 cm3	97 g
Siemens S65	109 × 48 × 18 mm	94 cm3	98 g
Motorola V600	88 × 48 × 24 mm	101 cm3	116 g

 
Comparing phone size with a credit card

I have a very good feeling about the phone in my hand. It seems perfectly solid, maybe because there are no replaceable covers. The only moving part is the rear battery cover, which has strongly constricted long guiding slats along with other pressing components that work before closure. These rubber rollers might abrade by frequent pushing, so I recommend you to manipulate the cover as little as possible. Anyway, Sony Ericsson K700 is a shining example of an expensive top-class handset.

  
The phone appears to be very solid at a glimpse; and that's for real • long track for the rear cover guarantees the solid construction further

Unlike to the elegant, but not really practical black surface of the previous models, the new Sony Ericsson K700 is a kind of jagged. The components are made of different matte silver plastics and only the middle part is black, so no fingerprints remain on the phone, except the on display surface. Whilst Sony Ericsson preferred European style earlier, their latest pieces are of Japanese angular and technical design, which I like a lot. Personally, I appreciate design changes very much. Of course, you could back up another opinion.

From its front view the phone looks like a rectangle with round edges. But from its sides it is a trapezoid - like a small coffin. Owing to the beveled side part the mobile fits well in hand. Edges of all parts, which put K700 together, are precisely connected.

  

View from all angles