Sony Ericsson K750 review: Get excited!

The display of Sony Ericsson K750 is brilliant indeed. No visible ridges can be seen between the pixels, so the grid of the screen does not counteract with the picture. It seems though that no display is able to create the perfect pure white tone. K750 is no exception: its white color has a slight rose shade. Backlighting is completely even. You will not spot a single ghost on the white surface. It makes the margins of the display turn somewhat lighter only if you decide to put black wallpaper on it. The display shows good quality when looked at from an acute angle, but, of course, performs best when the sight falls perpendicularly on it. The layer under the display is partly reflexive, so pictures are visible even under direct sunlight. The phone also offers a new brightness control option.

Shortcuts are back

As the display has been mounted relatively high on the top side of the phone, there is enough space left for the keypad. The buttons of the functional part are distributed exactly in the way we would expect them to be from a high-class Sony Ericsson phone. As for phone calls, they are managed by the buttons situated just below the display. The green and the red receivers are missing. Here you will also find the back key and the correction C button.

Below the display, between the functional buttons there is another key, whose icon is unidentifiable. I would dare predict that in final version phones, distributed by mobile operators, by pressing this key one will be able to directly enter WAP. In the rest of the devices it opens a menu, which consists of three folders:

A new key opens the menu for fast operations

New events: focused here are all incoming unread messages, missed calls or alerts of certain events from the calendar. Inside the setup options you can choose whether you want to use the new function, or you prefer to be alerted about new or planned events in the standard way: in a separate window.

Demonstration of new events

Shortcuts: Users' favorite function is back. In this menu you can arrange the functions you use most frequently. As a result, they are much quicker to access.

Shortucts menu

Bookmarks: references to favorite WAP and Internet pages.

Internet bookmarks

The left functional button below the display controls the call list (all calls as well as received, outgoing and missed calls); a press on the right button or the joystick takes you into the main menu.

Sensitive control

I have not become used to the joystick yet. I still find it much too sensitive. Fortunately, its top stays in perfect alignment with the surrounding surface, so incidental pressings are out of the question. Yet, the well around the joystick is relatively big, which could probably eventuate in an unwilling touch of its sharp edge. In any case, the joystick reacted so finely during the tests that it left a feeling of uncertainty in me even though I did not make any keying mistakes. The joystick recognizes diagonals and has nine ways altogether. Despite its high characteristics though, you will probably end up using the four basic world directions only, if we do not take account of the few special applications, of course. All four ways can be assigned user's shortcuts.

Joystick is very sensitive

Let me explain right away how shortcut functions are selected in Sony Ericsson. The phone does not offer a list of all options. You need to simply browse the menu; when the function you are looking for appears on the display, mark it by pressing the button.

The number keys are grouped into a rectangle. They alone are oblong too, except for the number 2 key, which is limited by the joystick. The keys are good. Even though the dividing lines between them are sufficient for successful touch orientation, they are so narrow that writing is not as comfortable as expected. After several days of testing I still felt a little bit uncertain when using the keypad. All keys are made of solid plastics. They do not sag, but rather waggle in their beddings.

All keys of the keypad but the one with number 2 are strictly oblong

Keypad can be locked both manually and automatically. For a manual lock press the asterisk and the right functional button. The same short-cut unlocks the keypad. As for auto locking, it is activated after 20 seconds of inactivity of the keypad, which I consider a bit short interval of time.

Keypad is accompanied by rich white backlights

The memory card slot

The three outlets for the receiver have been fit into the tiny space between the top edge of the phone and the display. Here you will also find the manufacturer's logotype. Another detail on the front cover, which draws attention, is the QuickShare sign, located below the keypad. In our case, it is gummed down a little bit askew, in result of which its silver margin becomes visible on the black background.

Not much space has left for the receiver and the manufacturer's logo • the askew gummed down QuickShare logo

The phone is equipped with a built-in antenna and works at frequencies of 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz. On its top side there is a simple switch-off button, a semicircular slot for the infrared port and a well for the holder.

Phone's top side with the switch-off button and the infrared port

Mounted on the bottom side of the phone is the new Fast Port system connector. It is a different type connector, which, I am afraid, is incompatible with the old Sony Ericsson accessories. The main reason for the new connector to be developed is its ability to transfer data quickly.

The new Fast Port connector and the male plug connector of the ear-phones with its long "arms"

On phone's bottom side you will also find a microphone and an eyelet for interlacing a strip. On its left side is the button, which starts the music player or the radio. To choose between the two applications, use the settings in the menu. Optionally, you can assign this button the function of playing the last music application, you have used. In any case, to activate the MP3 player with this button you will need to plug in the ear-phones. They can be replaced by the loud speaker only if you start the player from the main menu.

Eyelet for a strip • music button

In the bottom part of phone's left side is the slot for the Memory Stick Duo memory card (incl. the Pro version). It is protected by elastic gum cover; to pull out the card, press on it a bit and it will jump out itself. The card can be removed while the phone is on. A standard part of the Sony Ericsson K750's delivery package is a 64 MB memory card. If you happen to need more capacity, you will have to pay additionally. At present, the maximum capacity a mobile phone can take in is 2 GB. Memory cards are, however, quite expensive. An original 1GB Memory Stick card in a cheap internet shop costs no less than 130 euros. At the same time, a MMC card can be found for half this price. Together with the phone Sony Ericsson also offers an adapter which makes possible the use of the tiny Memory Stick Duo card in card readers of a standard size.

Memory card slot • memory card and adapter