** A Reluctant Goodbye To My K800i ** (Sony Ericsson K800i)

Member Name: izzoh

Product:	Sony Ericsson K800i
Date:	05/11/08 (168 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Robust, easy to use, Great Camera, light.

Disadvantages: No extra features, lens cover gets a bit loose.

**INTRODUCTION**
I recently wrote a review about my new phone the Sony Ericsson C902, before this I had the Sony Ericsson K800i, which I would call my old faithful friend. I used it, dropped it, and shouted at it and it still stood by me for 18 long months! When I had the K800i (I still have it, I couldn't dream of throwing it away... maybe selling it... but not throwing it away!) I have been on the 3 contract for a good few years now and this was my second upgrade from them. As you can guess, I am a fan of the Sony Ericsson.... And the K800i is the main reason behind this. Here is why.....

**LOOK AND DESIGN**
The design of this phone is quite chunky compared to some of the newer phones out at the moment, but it is in no way a heavy weight to carry with you and is still definitely up there with the trendsetters. Plus keep in mind this phone was launched in July 2006, not bad for an old timer in this fast moving mobile world! The exact size is 105mm by 46mm and 22mm in thickness, and it weighs 22mm. The K800i is very light to hold. So considering all it has to offer, it fits it all into a good, decent size phone, and one that won't bulge out of your coat pocket. I have the black and silver model which I always choose because it looks, clean, stylish and I like the 'new' look that it has as the black and silver tends not to lose its shine like other colours. You can also get the phone in brown, I have never seen this version but I am not sure how a brown phone would be pulled off, but some people may like it. They also sell it in all silver. Sony Ericsson also did a limited edition 'royal' silver model... which I am guessing is another shade of silver to the normal silver model...... confused? Don't be, I think it was just a way of them selling more phones to the phone fanatics and it was in aid of a new James Bond film.
The screen on this is quite big and is very clear, the only downside is when it is sunny or if you are in a bright room you literally cannot see the screen or anything on it. I usually have to cover the screen with my hand to tell the time!


**BASICS**
The sound is very clear on this phone and the volume of the ringtones and the speakerphone is great and very clear. I found this to be one of the easiest phones to text with. The buttons are small enough to adapt the large screen but big enough so you don't press the wrong button. The buttons are also made out of a slight rubber-like material rather then plastic, I think this makes the texting a lot easier as your fingers tend not to slip from one button to the next. The vibrate on the phone is quite powerful and is definitely a phone you can have on silent but still be alerted when you get a text or call. I found the battery life on this phone superb. It offers 350 hours standby and 7 hours talk time. I use my phone a lot, from making calls to playing games and I can usually go 3 days before the battery dies. It also gives you plenty of warning when the battery is low which I find helpful as some phones give you a couple of seconds then its lights out! So the battery life gets a thumbs up from me. It also has the other basic features that phones should have, calendar, alarm, calculator etc. As a standard phone the k800i works efficiently and I have had no problems whatsoever with it in the past 18 months.

** MAIN FEATURE AND SELLING POINT**
Sony Ericsson seems to have focused on the camera and the large bright screen as their main selling point. The K800i was sold on the logo 'A picture paints a thousand words'. They have prided themselves on giving this lightweight phone the ability to work as a digital camera with a larger then expected screen to display the pictures on. You can not miss the fact that the lens is on the back of the phone as it has a lens cover which you slide very easily to the left, once you open the lens the camera comes on. This was great for taking quick, spur of the moment pictures.... I got some funny and embarrassing ones because of how quick the camera loads. However, Once the phone was 'broken in' and the stiffness that new phones have had passed, the lens tended to slide open a bit too easily. If I picked up the phone a little too hastily, I would have the camera on automatically. It is very quick to come on but takes a little longer to get it off the screen!.... it became a little frustrating after a while. Anyhow, the camera is what sold this phone. It uses the 'cybershot' technology that Sony use in their phones. This means it has the same good features as a decent digital camera. Anti-blur, a bright xenon flash for when you need it and the ability to transfer yours pictured to your computer using the USB wire that comes in the box. The camera does take very clear photos and also takes great videos, but sometimes the pictures came out very yellow, this may be that my phone is getting old and battered or it could be due to the lens not being able to maintain its high quality but sometimes I struggled to get a good picture in terms of the colour of the shot.


**OTHER GREAT FEATURS**
To be honest the K800i does not have many jaw-dropping features. Other then the quick to use camera, there is one other part of the models design which I love. The way you browse through the menus and select what you want to use is done through a little joystick. I have never had a phone where I didn't use the 'arrow' buttons and this took a little getting used too. To begin with it is quite sensitive and instead of going to the next option you could end up at the last. I think it is a lot easier on the fingers when playing games and allows a lot move movement and stops your thumb from cramping up! It also allows you to scroll through your phonebook and text messages a lot quicker. It is also a great little boredom buster, many a time have I sat there twiddling the joystick!


**TROUBLE SPOTS**

The front speaker is at the top of the phone. This is where you here from, the speaker is in a little groove which I find traps dirt etc very easily. I have tried cleaning it but it is almost impossible. I have not had any problems hearing the person calling etc, but it irritates me that you can not get the dirt out.

Although I have knocked this phone about, dropped it, scratched it, let it rattle around the house, and after a good 18 months of non stop use it is in perfect condition. A couple of minor scratches but still just like how I bought it. The only tiny niggle is that the back cover, which covers the battery is very easy to slide off. This is great when you WANT it to come off, but now, whenever I drop the phone just slightly it tends to slip off. However, this may just be normal wear and tear.

I have also found that once the phone has been fully switched off, it takes a good few attempts to switch it back on again. This is very frustrating when you need to make a call... quickly!

**PRICE**
I got this phone for free the first time I ever upgraded with the mobile 3 network. The cheapest I have found it on pay as you go is £69.99 from the network 02, and you can get it for free on most networks if you take out a contract.

**CONCLUSION**
I still miss the phone as my hand became moulded to the shape of it; I could text without even looking at the phone! The fact it still works perfectly means I will keep it as a backup in case my new phone dies on me. The overall usability of the k800i is very easy. There are no hidden extras which you get confused with and everything works how it should. There are no fancy gadgets and no special features but I am a simple person who still likes things to look good. The K800i fits this perfectly.

Thank you for reading

(Also published on Ciao under myself izzoh)

Summary: Great looking, easy to use, long lasting phone.

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