Sony Ericsson K750i

The best multimedia handset yet?

The design of the body is compact, even though the K750i's form has bulked up a little from that of the K700i, gaining 1mm in length and depth, and 6g in weight. But the additional mass is worn with style. The screen has stayed the same size, 176 x 220, but the colour depth has grown from 65,000 to 262,000 colours. The battery has also been extended to 400 hours' stand-by or nine hours' talk-time, although with the number of media options crammed in there is the very real danger that you will have 'funned' the battery flat before you ever get a chance to answer any calls. On the subject of the battery, another 'well done' to Sony Ericsson for one of the simplest design of battery compartment. Just pull off the small cover at the base of the body and the battery can be slipped out, revealing the docking point for the SIM. There's no straining to remove awkward body covers here.

Operating systems and user interfaces have been refined, offering greater clarity, and the five-way 'navi-key', in the centre of the body, has evolved into something really useful from its messy prior incarnation. The designers persist with the removal of the red and green phone operation buttons, opting instead to use the top two quick-keys, which now seem to better suit the general decor of the phone.

Connectivity is available in almost every flavour conceivable, with GPRS, tri-band GSM, Bluetooth, infra-red and USB. The memory of the last time I tried to configure a Sony Ericsson handset was still at the forefront of my mind as I tried to get online to download a tune, and initially I was confronted by the same bewildering set of menus and options. It seems though that this has been universally acknowledged by the service providers, and even Sony Ericsson is now providing a one-stop set-up service. A simple service update from the Vodafone website transformed the phone from an unconnected-brick to an Internet-feather in a single SMS, although e-mail and IM functions do still need to be hand configured into life.

For those who need constant entertainment, the K750i supports the latest Java games, and even though the graphics are stunning, the screen size and the sleek keys does make gameplay a little like ballroom dancing in a garden shed. The RDS FM radio is impressive, picking up good strength signals, from 87.5-108.0MHz, from well within large buildings. The hands-free headset needs to be attached to activate the radio function, acting as the antenna, but once working the radio can be played through the speaker. The built-in MP3 player allows you to annoy your fellow passengers on public transport.