Review: Sony Ericsson Vivaz. More Camera Than Phone

Overview:
It can record in HD, has continuously adjusting autofocus and is ergonomically designed so is an RSI-friendly gadget. Oh, and did we mention this device is actually a mobile phone? The Sony Ericsson Vivaz packs quite a punch with its impressive specs, but is it trying to do too much at the one time? Let's find out.

Review:

Camera
While convergent technology is all around us, and a camera in a phone has become as necessary as a battery, handsets don't always do this well. Handsets sporting a 3 megapixel camera need to have some other redeeming feature with most digital cameras on the market at the 12 megapixel mark (luckily, the iPhone 3G S does).

Sony Ericsson has looked to address this conundrum with its Vivaz phone, that looks set to put some low-end camcorders to shame.

Sporting the ability to record in HD 720p at 24fps with continuous autofocus, the Vivaz will do you proud the next time you upload to YouTube.

The still camera on the phone is equally impressive, snapping at 8 megapixels and featuring autofocus, LED flash, 4x zoom as well as face and smile detection to ensure joviality in your pub snaps.

The camera also supports geotagging and if you're feeling a bit fiddly, is touch focus enabled.

Despite these specs, the flash doesn't exactly light up the dead of night, but it does the job nicely in low-light.

The lack of a lens cover is also a bit of an oversight when you include such a high-spec camera.

Screen
Being such an image-focused handset, the screen is what arrests your attention from the start, with the Vivaz's 3.2 inch display taking up virtually the entire front of the phone.

Sony Ericsson has gone for a resistive touchscreen rather than a more up-market capacitive, but it still does the job, even though features like pinch-to-zoom aren't available.

Style
We mentioned that the phone is ergonomically designed, and the gentle curve of the phone's back is perfectly cocooned in your palm.

The phone itself is lighter than Victoria Beckham weighing in at 97 grams. To achieve this feat, there is a considerable amount of plastic used in this phone, but while it's lightweight, it doesn't feel cheap.

The front of the Vivaz may be all-screen, but still include the standard call receive and end buttons, with a menu button in between.

Under The Bonnet
We now move onto the OS which is where this phone comes into a bit of controversy. Instead of a brand new Android or Windows platform, the Vivaz runs Symbian S60T. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad OS, it's just not necessarily the best on the market.

The phone's homescreen offers five standby panels which you can access by tapping the icons at the top of the screen, or by sliding your finger across the display.

This gives you access to your top contacts, a Twitter feed, an image gallery and a shortcut menu which you can customise.

At the bottom of the main screen are four icons to access dial pad, multimedia, messages and search functions.

Spics and Specs
The Vivaz is HSDPA-compatible and comes with GPS, Bluetooth with A2DP and Wi-Fi.

Sony Ericsson has made up for the meager 75MB of internal memory by including a 8GB microSD card in the box. If you have more music than EMI, you can opt to stick in a 32GB card.

There is a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, and FM radio on board.

The Gaj-It Verdict:
Design: 9/10
Usability: 8/10
Features: 8/10
Value: 8/10

We Say:
If you want a phone that can really capture life on the go, the Vivaz is for you. It's light, more designer than Louis Vuitton, and packs a camera that will outshine some dedicated camcorders and digital cameras. The Vivaz is all about its looks and camera, so we can forgive any other shortcomings with this phone.

Buy Sony Ericsson Vivaz on either a £20 or £25 a month plan.