Sony Ericsson G900 review: Symbian smartphone (See all reviews)

Based on Symbian UIQ, the G900 is a slim 3G smartphone that features a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and multi-shot function, 2.4inch TFT display, one- touch media and organiser menu, Wi-Fi for high speed data transfer and internet browsing. It combines a conventional keypad with a touch-screen menu that will manage your contacts, your notes, your favourite web sites and your photos.

Main features:

- Triband GSM (900/1800/1900) plus 3G UMTS (2100)
- WLAN 802.11b/g, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
- 2.4 inch, 256K colors TFT display
- 5MP camera with LED flash, autofocus and 16x digital zoom
- Memory Stick Micro card slot with 160 MB internal memory
- Handwriting recognition
- Opera web browser, RSS feeds, blogging
- MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player
- FM radio with RDS
- Li-Ion 950 mAh battery

Disadvantages:

- No HSDPA or EDGE
- No physical soft keys like on G700
- Mediocre network reception
- No built-in GPS
- Software bugs

The Sony Ericsson G900 is the flagship model of the new line and it’s positioned in the high-class. The phone is based on Symbian UIQ without making it hard to use. Its main purpose is to offer intuitive work, and the OS will simply widen the organizing options. The handset is perhaps more of a PDA than most competitors of its class, and although it seems to be quite popular in other countries, the G900 hasn't really taken off in the US.

We know smartphones have long been considered bulkier than normal phones, but this has been changing lately, and the margins between them are getting slimmer. The G900 is a relatively normal sized candybar phone with rounded edges and glossy plastic parts.

Its large 2.4 inch TFT display is well-saturated and quite bright, although it failed to impress us in direct sunlight. The touch sensitivity was quite great but unfortunately there is only sound notification and no vibration, which makes it useless in a noisy environment.

Looking at the photos we took, you’ll probably think the keypad isn’t that nice to use. This is not the case, though. The keypad is actually quite easy to use, and it gives a good tactile feedback. Although we would have loved a bit more space between the keys, it’s not much of a problem, and only the fewest people will find themselves in trouble with the keypad. The navigation D-pad and the soft keys around it offer pleasant response too.

On the right side of the phone we have the volume controls, the key for locking both the display and the keyboard, and the camera shutter key. Unfortunately, they have a very short drive that makes them quite inconvenient to use.

On the left side we’ve got the stylus, a Memory Stick Micro (M2) card slot hidden behind the battery cover, the charger connector, and the status LED that flashes green in the case of any missed event.

Nothing is located at the bottom of the phone, and only the power button is on the top. Removing the back cover proved somewhat hard. It's the same type that we saw in G700. The smartphone comes with a standard Sony Ericsson BST-33 Li-Po battery with a capacity of 960 mAh. It's rated at up to 380 h of standby time and up to 12 h of talk time.

As you’ve probably guessed by now, the handset is built completely out of plastic and compared with newer devices from Nokia, the G900 feels rather cheap. However, holding it in your hands it feels really solid and there are no big or annoying gabs.