Sony Ericsson C905 Preview

The Sony Ericsson C905 was unveiled to the world’s media on 12^th June 2008. The C905 was the first 8 megapixel camera phone to be announced (outside of Asia) and was set to be the first 8 megapixel camera phone to hit the market in October 2008 although it has now been pipped at the post by the Samsung i8510 which was announced after the C905 but released on 1^st September 2008.

As evident from the name, the Sony Ericsson C905 is a high end model in the ‘C range’ of Sony Ericsson mobile phones. C stands for Cybershot - a line of digital cameras made by Sony. Many suggest that the Sony Ericsson C905 is a successor to the very popular K800i mobile phone which was released in 2006 and was at the time renowned for its high-end camera specification.

The first thing you notice about the Sony Ericsson C905 is its simple yet sophisticated design. Then you pick it up and it hits you - how have Sony Ericsson managed to squeeze an 8 megapixel camera with numerous features, 3G, WI-FI, GPS, MP3 player, et al into such a slim and sleek frame. To be honest, we expected the C905 to be quite handful - perhaps more than a handful - but we couldn’t of being more wrong. Sizing in at a respectable 10.4 x 4.9 x 1.8 cm and weighing only 136g, we could barely feel the C905 in our jean pockets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Main Features

OK, we’ve already mentioned the whopping 8 megapixel camera but we haven’t mentioned the gazillion other features that really allow the C905 camera to shine. So here we go:

Face detection - you know how annoying it is when you’re trying to take a photo and your friend suddenly moves their face resulting in a blurry photo. Well fear no more - with face detection activated on the C905 the camera intelligently identifies and then focuses on your friends face without you having to do anything! And to make things even more satisfying, you can actually see the feature working when looking at your viewfinder (screen) when taking a photo!

Bestpic - activate Bestpic and you’ll never have to worry about timing your photos to perfection again. With Bestpic on the C905, at the click of one button the camera takes a series of 7 photos in quick succession. You can then simply preview all seven photos choosing to delete the ones you don’t want!

And if those camera features weren’t good enough, check out the remainder of them now; digital zoom up to 16x, image stabiliser, red eye reduction, picture blogging, video light, video recording, video stabiliser and Xenon flash! You’ll be pleased to know too that the resolution of the C905 camera is impressive to lay the least…coming in at 3264 x 2448 pixels.

The C905 is the first Sony Ericsson mobile phone (apart from its Smartphone range) to come with built in WI-FI which gives you a true wireless network experience. Forget slow ‘GPRS’ or dare we say ‘WAP’ - with WI-FI on the C905 you get broadband speed internet at the click of a few buttons. This means that Facebook, YouTube, Email, Banking, Share Prices and Breaking World News are literally never more than a couple of seconds away* (*subject to been connected to a wireless network). But don’t worry, if you’re not in the vicinity of a wireless network you can use ‘HSDPA 3G’ as a backup - still allowing for broadband like speeds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the C905 you don’t have to worry about ever getting lost again no matter where your travels take you. The C905 has built in GPS technology and includes a trial version of Wayfinder Navigator. With the C905 and Wayfinder at hand you’ll be sure to stay on course  with turn by turn navigation instructions, unlimited access to an online travel planning tool and downloadable maps* (*length of trial and coverage subject to local variations). In addition to this, the C905 allows you to effortlessly connect to Google Maps too for additional visual guidance!

3G on the C905 means that (aside from fast internet browsing) you can see who you’re talking to at the other end of the phone line using video calling. But make sure you remember to look your best as they can see you too! And with the sensational high resolution 2.4 inch QVGA screen (which displays over a quarter of a million colours), you won’t want to hang the video call up!

TV out support - TV out can be used to show and share your photos on TV. Photos will be shown in VGA size. The TV-Out Cable ITC-60 (sold separately) is necessary to connect your phone to the TV.

PictBridge - Camera printing - Print photos from the phone using the USB cable directly to a printer, without a computer or photo editing software.

Photo tags - Navigate through your captured photos and thousands of downsized photos transferred from your computer. View captured photos and video clips in an intuitive timeline view. Play animated slide shows with music and different moods. Tag your photos to find them faster. The built-in sensor in the camera ensures that all photos are rotated correctly.

Auto rotate - Capturing a portrait photo with a horizontal camera, usually results in a photo which must be rotated man­ually when viewed later, in the phone. Auto rotate is a new feature, which enables C905 Cybershot to register how the phone is oriented when the photo is taken, whether it is held in portrait or landscape mode. This information is saved with the photo. When viewed, the photo is automatically rotated and pre­sented with the same orientation as it was originally taken.

The C905 is available in 3 colours as posted here. The C905 release date is currently set as October 2008 with prices ranging from free on selected pay monthly contracts to £300+ on Pay As You Go.