Click for images of the Sony Ericsson K700i.

Adopting the concept that less is more, Sony Ericsson seldom saturates the mobile market with heaps of handsets. But once this Japanese-Swede phone maker delivers one, it never fails to whisk up enough magic to appeal to both consumers and business users alike. The K700i is one such offering.

Design
This triband unit sports the dual facade design that Sony Ericsson has been lobbying for some time. Clad in classy three-tone silver finish, this looker is paired with matching animated themes to satisfy even the most discerning users.

Most of the real estate on the phone front is taken up by a 1.8-inch 176 x 220-pixel display. While this 65K TFT presents a similar color depth as its predecessors, it benefits from the extra resolution as text appears razor-sharp. An improved joystick sits below the LCD. Texters will also be delighted with the buttons on the keypad that are clearly stamped and raised sufficiently to provide ample tactile feel for swift messaging.

On the camera front, the K700i takes after the look of Sony digital cameras. The aperture is planted on top while the self-portrait mirror, photo light and speaker grille are built around this. An aluminum-brushed battery cover of a darker shade completes the reverse.

Features
The efforts put into enhancing the user experience are praiseworthy. Upon power up, a wizard guides you through the setup with a few simple prompts. The K700i also intelligently drops you hints when there's a quicker way to complete a task. More importantly, the noticeable speed increase encountered when texting is hard to overlook. Unfortunately, the sporadic pauses we encountered on our review unit tainted the experience.

Message alerts on earlier models were muted if you left the text window open after reading it. This issue has since been corrected, but incredibly you're still limited to the six default SMS tones. Tagging MP3 or MIDI to alarms and ringtones is a non-issue, however. Working with Sony Music in Singapore, the PlayNow function lets you preview and purchase snippets of the original songs for use.

The main gripe about this handset must be the lack of an expansion slot. To alleviate this setback, the K700i packs in a whopping 41MB of internal memory--possibly the largest for a mobile phone presently. This translates to about 10 MP3 tracks for your daily commute. Due to the space constraints, you've to constantly juggle between the memory needed for music and photos.

Connectivity has always been Sony Ericsson's strength and the K700i remains brilliant in this aspect. Data can be exchanged over infrared and Bluetooth effortlessly, a.k.a. QuickShare. If you prefer, an optional USB cable is available, too.

Multimedia
The K700i is simply bursting with multimedia prowess that doesn't disappoint. It now comes equipped with improved acoustics and the speaker is adequately amplified although still short of the "oomph" we experienced with the Nokia 6230. Still, the upgraded 40-chord polyphony and the inclusion of the much-requested speakerphone capability are welcomed additions.

Music aficionados can immerse themselves in aural goodness, thanks to the music player and FM radio. A five-band equalizer is on hand to tweak the output to your preference and presets are available for the less adventurous. When using the stereo earpiece, this mobile pumps out quality acoustics that give dedicated music players a run for their money. Support for background playback lets you access other functions while jamming to the music.

Despite tapping on Sony's expertise in digital imaging, the onboard video-capable camera is nothing to shout about, due mainly to its VGA resolution. An extended mode extrapolates resolution to 1,280 x 960 pixels but you're better off resampling on a desktop instead. On a brighter note, there're sufficient tweaks and effects to satisfy most photo enthusiasts.

Reception, Battery Life And SAR
We encountered no issues with reception or voice clarity with the K700i during the review period. The supplied 700mAh cell is good for about two days of moderate use. If the phone is used as a media player, expect daily trips to the charging dock.

This handset meets international requirements concerning exposure to radio waves as the highest Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value recorded for this model when tested was 0.48W/kg.

Conclusion
The K700i retails at S$698 with a two-year plan and S$848 without contract. At this price, it costs slightly more than its nearest rival, the Nokia 6230. But feature for feature, the K700i knocks Nokia's offering off its feet with a more superior screen, seamless connectivity, quality build and exceptional multimedia capability, earning it our coveted Editors' Choice award.