Good but not Great (Sony CMD-Z7)

Member Name: JCee

Product:	Sony CMD-Z7
Date:	16/07/02 (252 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Jog Dial, Small and Light, Useful Features

Disadvantages: Low Quality Case, Feels Cheap, Old Phone Dressed as New

As much as I want to recommend this phone I can't. I bought the Z7 as an upgrade to its predecessor the Z5 and I'm sorry to say it isn't that much of an improvement.

However, to begin let me tell you what IS good about it.

It sounds great. The polyphonic sounds and ring tones sound great compared to other phones and when people hear it they do take notice (whether you like that or not is a matter of opinion!).

The Scheduler. A great way to manage your life if you just need a simple diary with reminders. Its easy to use and has a large capacity if you want to fill it up with your busy social activities.

The Phonebook. Also very easy to use and allows you to store a number of different numbers of notes for each entry.

The Voice Dialler. If you want to call someone without having to scroll through the Phone Book or Dial their number just say their name and the phone does it for you. Perfect.

The Games. Table Football isn't that great but Black Jack is addictive. When your phone is new this game may become a bit of an obsession for a while!

Ok, so the phone doesn't sound that bad at all and it even looks nice too. But here's my problem. Almost all of the best things on the phone can also be found on the Z5 which you can get either free of very cheap now. Not only that but the menu system on the Z5 was easier to use and better organised. Another great thing is that the Z5 has a scratch proof coating. That went out the window for the Z7. It also feels "cheaper" than its predecessor and the dents in the plastic where I've dropped it suggest that the quality of plastic has been downgraded from that used on the Z5 which didn't dent when dropped.

At the end of the day, if you've upgraded from an ancient or simple phone then the Z7 will not dissapoint you. It is a great phone and you'll be very happy with it. However if you're coming from a Z5 or simil
ar phone don't bother with the Z7. Its just the same phone with a flashier but cheaper cover, a new style of menu and one or two new but unimpressive features thrown in.

Summary: