Sony Ericsson Satio

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Navigation And Camera

For navigation, there're Google Maps with Latitude enabled and Wisepilot. The latter is great only if the handset actually manages to get a GPS lock. Even after trying with two SIM cards from different telcos at two different locations with Assisted-GPS, we were able to get a location fix only once, and briefly, for a couple of seconds. We're not sure where the problem lies, so we'll be requesting for another review unit to test out this aspect. Navigation glitches aside, we liked the interface elements plus various functions such as generating trip reports, downloading weather updates, finding what's nearby, as well as the option to share location coordinates via SMS. Our only nitpick is that the map zooms in at up to only a 100m scale, which doesn't provide enough of a macro view. Only when real-time navigation began were we able to zoom the map down to a street-level perspective.

The K850i Cyber-shot had both a Xenon and LED flash and we're happy to see the company bringing this back on the Satio. Aside from that, the camera will also be able to detect faces and smiles, and you can touch the screen to focus on a subject. Images are recorded in 4:3 format at the maximum 12-megapixel resolution, 3:2 at 10 megapixels and 16:9 at 9 megapixels. We don't like the 4:3 aspect ratio and prefer shooting at 3:2 even though that means not making full use of the 12-megapixel sensor. But that's just us. Video capture is at VGA resolution at 30fps. You can also adjust autofocus and exposure settings, and that's about it. There's no option to adjust ISO settings, so we couldn't do our usual ISO comparison. Suffice to say, if you're taking night landscape shots (see examples below), it'd be wise to hold the device really still. Shutter lag measured 0.3 second.

Our test pictures resolved a good amount of details, and when viewed on the handset, the colors popped. Image quality-wise, the Satio is one of the best camera-phones we've tested. Below are a few pictures which we took during our review. You can download the full-resolution files when you click on them.

Lab test shot without flash

Lab test shot with flash

Performance

Aside from the slow unlock response which we mentioned earlier, most things ran smoothly on the Satio. There were some slowdowns when it came to switching display orientation, but these didn't cripple the phone and were minor annoyances.

Call quality was good, but battery life was average. The rated talktime and standby of the 1,000mAh battery were 11 hours and 15 days, respectively. If you use a combination of functions which include taking pictures, recording videos, browsing the Web during your daily commute, be prepared to charge the cell before you retire for the night.

Conclusion

While we'd want to fall in love with the Satio, in reality, we couldn't bring ourselves to. It's not so much due to the device, but the software it runs on. The S60 5th edition operating system is very capable and that's a point most people would agree on. However, the interface just doesn't make the cut when there are other software that provide a more consistent user experience.

We like the picture quality from the 12-megapixel camera, the bundled RoadSync software that lets us synchronize with our office Exchange server, the large vibrant display, great Web browsing experience and well-put together chassis. The lack of a 3.5mm audio jack (and adapter) may turn some people away, but our biggest peeve is still with the inconsistencies in the user experience of the phone.

The Sony Ericsson Satio is expected this month at S$1,098 without contract.

Tags: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Satio, QuickOffice Program, PDF Reader, Nokia Corp.

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