Sony Ericsson T610

Click for more pictures of the T610 and T310.

Sony and Ericsson melded their handset divisions in October 2001. Now, after one year and eight months of conception, the company has finally delivered its first true Sony Ericsson cell phone--the T610. Now the big question is: Was it worth the wait? We took this phone for a test run, and decided that--for the most part--the T610 is, indeed, a satisfying and remarkable machine.

First Impressions
The T610, designated Sony Ericsson's "hero product" for the year, certainly looks the part. We rarely get to use the words "Ericsson" and "sexy" in the same sentence, but there's little doubt the T610 oozes sex appeal.

This handset stands out with its sleek, squarish outline and clean, two-color paint job. Although it doesn't boast a radically new design, it looks distinctly different from previous Sony Ericsson and competitor phones. At the same time, we found T610's build and finish exceptional--nothing less than what we've come to expect from Sony.

Initially, we were puzzled by the small piece of anti-static cloth that came with the phone package. It took all of 5 minutes to discover the need for it. The T610 gets smudged rather easily, and we spent quite a bit of time wiping the phone clean of fingerprints.

In terms of size, the T610 bears almost the same dimensions as its camera-enabled rival, the Nokia 7250, and is just a shade heavier at 95g. This makes the T610 one of the most pocket-friendly camera-phones on the market.

This is all the more astounding given the T610's large 128 x 160-pixel display. Compared to the Sony Ericsson T68i, the T610 allows for an extra row of icons in the main menu. The 65,000-color passive display is bright and pleasing, and offers rich colors. Viewing angle is, however, quite poor. Even tilting the mobile at an angle compromises viewing quality. We also discovered banding around the edges of the display, a result of uneven screen illumination.

Using It
One oft-stated issue with Sony Ericsson phones is the clunky interface. The T610 sports a whole new button layout which will, unfortunately, confuse seasoned users. The "power on" switch has moved upstairs to the top of the handset--similar to Nokia phones. At the same time, two additional softkeys have been installed below the T610’s display. We struggled with this interface in the beginning, but it took us just two days to get the hang of it.

Another common criticism was the lags in previous Sony Ericsson phones such as the T68i. Thankfully, the T610 is generally more responsive, but accessing messages can still require a bit of patience. This is especially true when your inbox is filled, so it will be necessary to clean up your old messages regularly.

Indifferent Imaging
The T610 is one of the most powerful handsets we've seen so far, with an enviable list of features that includes an integrated camera, triple band capabilities, wireless Java, Bluetooth as well as polyphony.

Some users may buy the T610 specifically for the integrated digital camera. Unfortunately this is also the phone's most mediocre feature. Although its display performed well as a viewfinder, there are other limitations to the T610's camera function. For one, we discovered a split-second shutter lag between the time you press the shutter release button and when the photo is actually taken. While this isn't a big deal for posed pictures, you'll likely miss the moment if you're trying to surprise someone with a candid shot. At the same time, the mobile is capable of capturing at up to a resolution of only 288 x 352 pixels, which is less than the 640 x 480-pixel photos other phones are capable of.

However, the T610's Bluetooth capability is well-implemented. We tested the phone with TDK's USB adapter as well as the HP iPaq H5450. In both cases, we experienced no hitches whatsoever. Bluetooth quickly became our favored mode of transferring photographs and music to or from the handset.

Multimedia Magic
Although the T610's 32-tone polyphony is generally of high quality, we weren't so happy about the limited collection of melodies. Thankfully, the T610 seamlessly supports MIDI files without the need for a format conversion. We were able to download MIDI files off the Web, and directly transfer these into the phone where they could be used as ringtones. I've always argued that a convergence between MIDI and polyphony would bring about unprecedented customization of ringing tones. I believe many T610 users will soon grow fond of this particular feature.

The phone comes with 2MB of memory, but only 842kb of that is available out of the box. Each photo you snap takes up about 15kb of memory, which means you can store more than 50 pictures in the cellular. But add a few MIDI files and some Java downloads, and you may have to remove some of the existing games to free up space. You'll likely want to upload some customized wallpapers as well. The T610's gallery of preinstalled wallpapers is quite drab, and includes several monotone or duotone pictures that don't do justice to the handset's high-quality screen.

The T610 also dazzled us with its customizable themes, which aren't merely about changing a bit of font color here or background image there. The T610's themes, after the lengthy load-up time, change the look quite dramatically, and come complete with new menu headings, selection highlights, and even scroll bars.

Reception And Battery Life
The T610's reception is average. There were slight problems with signal strength in areas of poor network coverage. We also heard a disconcerting hiss when making voice calls, but this wasn't loud enough to affect voice quality. Hopefully a future firmware upgrade will resolve this problem. The mobile’s battery life was also credible. We managed two days of heavy usage before the phone died.

Conclusion
The T610 is currently going for S$618 with a two-year contract, or S$768 without a line. We think this is an agreeable price, particularly since Bluetooth, integrated cameras and 65,000-color screens still command premium prices on the market. The T610 more than makes up for its raw edges with its overall excellence, and just about qualifies for an Editors' Choice. Tech-savvy early adopters will find the Sony Ericsson’s feature set difficult to resist, while even casual users will be much pleased by the T610's wealth of personalization options.

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