Sony Ericsson is one of the world`s largest mobile manufacturers and it accommodates all tastes and budgets with its current line-up of phones. It has had mainstream success with its feature-focused handsets including the W-series of Walkman phones and the C-series of Cybershot camera phones. It has also been attempting to break into the growing smartphone market after having had its recent efforts criticised or overlooked because of stiff competition from its rivals. Now the Sony Ericsson Vivaz has arrived and it is aiming to capture the photography enthusiast as well as the high end smartphone user.
The Sony Ericsson Vivaz is a touchscreen smartphone, so there are only three physical keys on its front, along with the vibrant 3.2 inch display. Its shell is roughly rectangular, but is stands out because the top and bottom are rounded, whilst the rear is slightly domed. This allows it to look a lot more interesting than most of its slab-like rivals. Along the right hand side you will find buttons for activating the camera and a volume rocker.
The Sony Ericsson Vivaz is one of the few mobiles on the market that is able to record video clips in high definition. It can capture video in 720p and it can also shoot still images with the 8 megapixel sensor. Once you have recorded a video clip or taken some pictures you can upload them to your favourite video sharing site or social networking profile to share with your friends. You can even watch clips back on a high-def TV as the Vivaz has a TV output, which is a real convenience.
The Vivaz has Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as support for 3G and HSDPA networking, which means that no matter where you go you will be able to connect to the internet at high speeds. Browsing the web is easy to do using the large screen and there is also the obligatory inclusion of Bluetooth for connecting headsets, headphones and other peripherals, as well as for short range transferals with friends.
The Sony Ericsson Vivaz uses the Symbian smartphone platform that can also be found in operation on many of Nokia`s mobiles. However, Sony Ericsson has put a lot of work into creating its own unique user interface to sit neatly over Symbian and provide excellent touch-friendly features. The Vivaz comes preinstalled with a number of apps, including support for Twitter. Sony Ericsson has its own app and content download service called PlayNow and you can access this from the Vivaz or from your PC to update your phone with new software and personalise it with ringtones and wallpaper.
The main downside of the Sony Ericsson Vivaz is its modest allotment of onboard storage space, which you will quickly fill up with high definition video. You will really need to add in your own microSD memory card and thankfully the Vivaz can accept up to 16GB of extra space. The Vivaz is the first of Sony Ericsson phones to bring HD video capture to the table and it is an undeniably exciting arrival.
Price: Sony Ericsson Vivaz price is Rs. 35,700 in Indian market.
