Sony Ericsson txt

The Sony Ericsson txt is an interesting take on a feature phone--like the txt pro, it's a low-end device made with social networking in mind, while doing away with the need for a smartphone operating system. Unfortunately, the upcoming Sony Ericsson takeover by Sony and its decision to stop making feature phones means this model will be one of the last few from the handset maker.

Upside

With a weight of 95g and dimensions of 106 x 60 x 14.5mm, the txt isn't a very big phone--so it should fit into your pocket comfortably. The phone comes in four colors--blue, pink, white as well as black.

For a feature phone, it comes with Facebook, Google Talk and Twitter applications, letting you access these services on the device. However, as this is a 2.5G phone, you will have to rely on slow GPRS or the built-in Wi-Fi at hotspots to access the above features.

Sony Ericsson has also included in a bunch of multimedia features such as TrackID (that lets you identify a song), a built-in FM radio and a 3.2-megapixel camera.

Downside

As mentioned earlier, the txt is a 2.5G phone--you'll need to be near a Wi-Fi hotspot to take full advantage of its "smart" functions. This shouldn't be a problem if you're at home or in the office, but if you're frequently on the go, this may not be an ideal handset as cellular data will be quite slow.

Feature phones are great for battery life, but they are very limited in what you can do besides the functions pre-bundled on the device. Unlike Nokia's Symbian 40 devices with its Ovi Store, the txt has very limited feature expandability.

Outlook

It's likely this mobile phone will be free with an operator contract--like the txt pro, it offers plenty at a low price. The handset will be available in selected markets in Q3 2011. (Note: We're waiting on availability for Singapore and other parts of Asia.) Update (December 14, 1743 GMT+8): The Sony Ericsson txt is not available in Singapore, but you can get the handset in other Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines at a recommended retail price of around US$120.