Sony Ericsson P1i

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Features
Connectivity options are plentiful on the P1i. For the cellular networks, it is a triband GSM phone and 3G-enabled. Other wireless options include wireless LAN and Bluetooth. Its Bluetooth implementation supports A2DP, which means you can connect a wireless stereo headset to it for music playback.

	The autofocus camera at the rear also has LEDs for dark situations. (click for larger image)

While its wireless options should be sufficient for most users' needs, it is regrettable that they are exactly the same as the P990i's. We would have appreciated the addition of HSDPA for faster cellular data connections or a quadband GSM radio for better roaming options.

The OS used on the P1i is Symbian 9.2 with the UIQ 3.1 interface. Symbian is the same OS used on many mid- to high-end Nokia phones, but the Series 60 interface used on those devices is very different from the touchscreen-supported UIQ on the Sony Ericsson smart phones. As with any OS, a user going in cold will need some adjustment time, but it is safe to say that the UIQ learning curve is not steep.

Tapping the screen with the stylus is the best way to navigate the menus, naturally, but one-handed operation is not as convenient as other competing OSes. For example, moving between tabs in option screens requires either tapping the display or using the left and right arrow keys found on either side of the spacebar button. This is tedious because your left thumb, which can scroll up and down as well as depress the selector, must shift to either touch the screen or downward to the arrow keys to perform basic functions. It may seem nit-picky to point this out on a device meant to be used with a stylus, but the truth of the matter is that both Palm OS and Windows Mobile (5.0 onward) have made the direction pad efficient to the point where you can get to almost every field without touching the LCD panel.

Being a business-orientated device, applications to open and edit documents are included with this handset. It also comes with a business card scanner program to be used in tandem with the camera for easy storage of contacts. Wireless syncing with your exchange server can be set up with a Dataviz application provided. As added convenience, a sync/charge cradle is also included with the P1i.

A QVGA display capable of 262K colors is found on the P1i. Memory-wise, it has 160MB built-in not counting the 512MB M2 card included with the standard package. Buying more memory will be useful for those who wish to use it as a music player. The provided stereo headset does not allow you to connect your own headphones for lack of a 3.5mm audio mini-jack, and it isn't very comfortable, either. Fortunately, there are optional accessories from Sony Ericsson meant for that purpose. The FM radio feature worked excellently not only in radio reception, but also in ease of use when auto-searching and storing radio stations.

The 3.2-megapixel camera found on the P1i has both an autofocus feature and LED light for dark situations. It produces good images for a mobile phone, and comes with options like macro and night mode for those specific situations. A second front-facing camera is found on the top left corner for video calls.

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