Sony Ericsson Satio – A Review

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Sony Ericsson Satio

Sony Ericsson has never been afraid of any challenge, which is why their handsets have always been top of the line. The Satio is the very latest in their phone range – there is 12 megapixel camera as well as touch screen debuting Symbian S60. The Satio seems all set to meet some really serious challenges; it’s poised to be an industry leading camera phone, which will overtake all the other smartphones.

The main features of the Satio include Qua-band GSM support, 3.5” 16M-color resistive touch screen with 640×360 pixel resolution, LED and xenon flash, as well as active lens cover, 12 megapixel autofocus camera, VGA@30fps video recording, Wi-Fi and GPS with A-GPS, stereo FM radio, TV out, built-in accelerometer, microSD card slot (up to 32 GB), office document viewer, full Flash support on Web browser, as well as preinstalled Wisepilot navigation software.

But there are some complains about the phone – for instance, there are no stereo speakers, no opportunity for smart or voice dialing, on top of that, the xenon flash is not powerful enough. What’s more, if you play Flash videos in the browser, the available RAM gets depleted rather easily. You also cannot do office document editing, without going for a paid upgrade. On top of that, the S50 5th edition UI isn’t up to standards, and there is no 3.5 mm audio jack or a standard USB port. Finally, there is no digital compass.

However, all said and done, you can manage to squeeze out quite a lot from the given features, and after nearly a year of hyped advertising, the phone has hit the market and is all set to become the new favorite among tech lovers and professionals. The Satio is basically a combination of the Walkman and the Cybershot – this means when you buy the Satio, you not only get an industry-leading camera, but also many multimedia playback options, as well as a Symbian S60 5th edition.

But the feel of the handset is a little strange. It’s a little chunky at the back, because of the camera-related gadgetry at the rear, there is a massive camera section bolted to the back. However, the phone itself doesn’t feel too heavy, it’s actually quite light, and the power pack is fit snugly under the cover. The Satio feels nice in the hand, the 3.5 inch touchscreen is well positioned, and you can get at most of the functions with just a movement of the thumb. The phone has a rather minimal look – there is a call, hang up, and menu key – that’s mostly it.

The Satio also has a front facing video camera – you can have some fun with video calling, but down the sides of the phone is where the real fun is at! There is a slider for unlocking the phone, on the left side – making it the appropriate place for most hands. There is also the port for USB connections, for charging, and for headphone connection. Right below that is the microSD slot – covered by a little flap. On the right side you will find the camera controls – there are zoom buttons which double up as the volume up/down keys.

Right below that is the photograph playback key – this gives you access to all your photographs in not just camera mode but also standby. Then there is a video/camera swap hard key. Right below that is the hewn shutter for the camera. This bit of the phone looks stylish and well-crafted.

The Satio isn’t the largest of phones, but there’s a lot of technology that’s gone into it – so it’s definitely one of Sony Ericsson’s best. The phone is also a multimedia device, no wonder that there are so many audio and visual goodies.

However, the biggest highlight of this phone is the 12 megapixel camera – Sony Ericsson has really gone all-out, putting this together! The images that you click turn out to be fantastic, and you know there is no compromise on the quality of pictures. Plus, there is xenon and LED flash, thus you can take pictures and close-up videos at night too, without any difficulty, and without having to worry about clarity. But there is no Macro mode, you have to use the Autofocus mode – when you take pictures of things close by, the camera automatically adjusts.

Tags: Satio, smartphone, Sony Ericsson, Sony Ericsson Satio