Camera Phone Reviews

Sony Ericsson K850

Beautiful images - The 5 megapixel camera with auto focus and Xenon flash produces true digital camera results. Even if you are not an expert photographer, the K850 does everything to help you get the best possible shots on your phone. Photo fix automatically improves light balance in one click to make your picture as good as it can get. When taking a picture of a moving object, for example at a sports event, you can select BestPic™ and take nine pictures in one burst. Then simply choose the best and delete the rest.

Beautifully simple - Increased functionality does not mean increased complexity. When in camera mode the K850’s next generation camera menu makes it intuitive to scroll between functions like shoot mode and picture size. The lens cover retracts automatically with one press of the camera button and a new mode selector lets you switch quickly between camera, video and picture viewing modes. The regular phone keyboard also has a dual purpose; switch to camera mode and illuminated icons indicate which keys act as short-cuts for the digital zoom and other functions.

Easy to access - Beyond the camera, the K850 is a capable multimedia phone. The new media browser puts all of your stored media, whether photos, video, music or podcasts, in one place offering you a unique Sony Ericsson media experience. Scroll, sort and access your media from a single point in the menu. The K850 Cyber-shot™ phone also allows you to carry out an intelligent search to see photos by the month they were taken, view thumbnail images or scroll through in full-picture mode. With the new crystal display, the K850 offers optimal clarity from any viewing angle.

Easy to share - Once you have taken your picture it is easy to share the memory. If showing a photo on the K850’s large 2.2” crystal bright display, the innovative auto rotate feature will display it in the correct aspect - portrait or landscape - irrespective of the orientation it was taken in. Picture blogging and video blogging allow you to upload your shots and footage at HSDPA speeds to your own blogsite.

Easy to pair - Given the premium look of the K850 Cyber-shot™ phone, you will want to match it with an accessory that looks just as good. Announced today as an optional accessory, the Bluetooth™ Headset IV840 fits discretely and securely into your ear. This high-performance headset can leave you handsfree for up to 9 hours of talking. It can pair automatically with the K850 for easy set-up, whilst digital noise cancellation provides for optimum sound quality. So, like the K850, the IV840 does not compromise performance or ease of use.

The Sony Ericsson K850 Cyber-shot™ phone is a Tri-Band HSDPA and Quad-Band GPRS/EDGE phone with a colour choice of either Velvet Blue or Luminous Green. It will be available in selected markets from early Q4 2007.

Sony Ericsson K850 Reviews

Mobile-Review reviews the Sony Ericsson K850i and writes, "Frankly speaking, I didn’t love the twist in ergonomics, missing shutter and these switches. But my experience of a few thousands of shots tells me that it is not a big deal. The handset is easy to master, so it looks quite adequate as a replacement for a real (wanted to write “handset” – Mr. Freud?) camera. If you value truly photographic quality of snaps – look no further, this model has no alternatives. In all conscience I have to admit that the Nokia N95 over the past 6 months has become the most popular 5 Mpix equipped device, but the Sony Ericsson K850i is not only on its heels, it also surpasses it in the imaging department (that’s our only focus now)."

Pocket-lint reviews the Sony Ericsson K850 and writes, "With 5 megapixels on board and a stack of camera features, the K850 follows Sony Ericsson's march on bring the gap between mobile phones and digital cameras ever closer. While all the camera features are brilliant, for us the mobile phone element has sacrificed useability. The keys are fiddly to use and the new layout confusing. Furthermore we found the on/off button for the digital camera awkward as well. This is a massive leap on from the K810, however with an awkward keypad layout it will end up frustrating most people."

3G reviews the Sony Ericsson K850i and writes, "Sony Ericsson has included a useful on/off switch dedicated to the camera. Switch it on and the shutter will open – with a satisfying click – to reveal a killer lens. The back of the handset also houses the excellent Xenon flash along with a 3LED video light surrounded by a polished black cover. Unfortunately, the aforementioned cover is a magnet for grubby fingerprints, as is the front of the handset. Not only is this annoying, it causes a serious issue with regards to the quality of the picture, so expect to be constantly wiping the handset to retain the best results."

ENN reviews the Sony Ericsson K850i and writes, "Whilst the K850i is no match for a dedicated digital camera with a decent lens, it's more than adequate for capturing acceptable group shots. And with patience you can achieve very good results. However, we have our doubts about how resilient the camera will be in long term use. Meanwhile the audio capabilities, which are really not given any prominence in any marketing material, are going to be more than sufficient for most people."

OS News reviews the Sony Ericsson K850i and writes, "The picture and video Cybershot camera application is very good. It has a multitude of features, ranging from flash light on/off/auto, night mode, self-timer, mic on/off, white balance presets, exposure support, effects, scene mode, macro support, autofocus support, red-eye reduction, ISO 100 to 400 and digital image stabilization. The only things missing is some optical zoom, ability to use the videocall camera to record and VGA video recording (it only goes up to QVGA at 30fps, sample 1 and 2). Also, while the camera is protected by glass, this glass acquires sweat pretty easily... A nice touch is the VideoDJ application that lets you add clips, images and music in a mobile video editor that it's able to export as a new clips -- with transitions applied and effects."

LetsGoMobile reviews the Sony Ericsson K850i and writes, "...The Sony Ericsson K850i has been equipped with a 5.0 Megapixel digital camera and makes quite nice pictures in various light circumstances. The right side of the cell phone carries the camera's on / off button. When the camera is activated, the lens cover will be removed automatically and the camera application gets started. Upon activating the camera a number of icons on the top will light up making it easy to quickly change the camera's settings. The mobile phone offers a nice addition next to the on/off button and the shutter release button for capturing pictures; a slider. The latter is also found on digital compact cameras enabling the user to select capturing pictures, recording videos and playback of the captured files."

PC World Canada reviews the Sony Ericsson K850i and writes, "The camera that is on the reverse side of this phone is the obvious selling point. It's one of the first 'fully featured' cameras and at 5 megapixels, it's definitely a step up...This camera can take some decent pictures. I took some inside, at night, and during the day walking, and while it may take a while a little longer to snap than a regular digital camera -- probably owing to the fact that it is digital camera software running on a phone and not the other way round -- it took some nice pics...My only issue is that it's touted as having a Xenon flash, using the same technology as those headlights that blind you on the highway. I was thinking 'yeah, now to get those guys back in that BMW who dazzled me' but it was not quite at that level."

CNET reviews the Sony Ericsson K850i and writes, "On the left spine you'll find a volume rocker, which doubles as a zoom control when the phone is in camera mode. You'll also find a camera shutter and a camera power control. Though the former is quite tactile, the latter is tiny and flush with the surface of the phone. We like the idea of a camera power control, but we wish it were bigger and easier to use. On the upside, the position of the controls on the spine gives the K850i the ergonomics of a standalone camera when you tip the phone horizontally. We also liked the convenient switch for alternating between camera and camcorder modes."

MobileBurn reviews the Sony Ericsson K850 and writes, "Being a Cyber-Shot branded phone, the main selling point of the K850i is its 5.0 megapixel camera with auto-focus and xenon flash. I expected great things from this camera and thankfully wasn't disappointed, with the K850i producing some very respectable pictures. Upon activating the camera, a blue ring of light glows around the camera lens, then almost immediately fades back out. There are also matching blue lights to be found on the shutter button, and four hidden icons that are illuminated from beneath the phone's fascia, labeling the 3, 6, 9, and # keys' new functions for the camera. Overall the picture quality of the K850i's camera was very good, and shots looked clear and detailed. However, shots could sometimes have a bit of a "washed out" look about them, and taking photos in low-light conditions in auto mode would often provide blurry or very dark images. These issues could usually be solved with one of the many scene selections available, which allow you to quickly adjust the settings for any situation you might encounter."