Review by Tor Slettnes for Sony Ericsson K850i Cyber-shot Unlocked Cell Phone with 5 MP Camera, U.S./International 3G, Media Player, M2 Memory Slot–International Version with No Warranty (Velvet Blue)
Rating:
I have had this phone for about 2 weeks now (picked it up at a local store), while my Nokia N95-3 has been in for repair. As it turns out, the repair is not covered by warranty, nor “repairable”; so I am left with the choice of keeping the k850i, or returning it for a new N95 (probably the new N95 8GB NAM, aka. N95-4, not yet on Amazon; but aside from the support of North American 3G bands, identical to the N95-2).

I am leaning towards the latter. Much as I despise the Nokia warranty/repair service, and much as the N95 build quality is really sub-par for a phone in this price range, and much as Nokia seems pretty arrogant w.r.t. releasing up-to-date models for the US market, there is really no match when it comes to the phone itself.

Keep in mind, despite all the annoucements at the MWC in February, the N95 and the k850i are STILL the ONLY TWO phone models with 5MP cameras available for the US market – they both have quad-band GSM radios as well as North American W-CDMA/3G (UMTS-850 and UMTS-1900) support.

Here are some of the things I liked about the k850 over the N95:

* Better industrial design (look & feel). (Small details such as a rubber edge on the back side that allows the device to sit more firmly on e.g. slanted surfaces..)

* More solid construction – better build quality

* Tri-band UMTS (supports 3G speeds worldwide; can be used in Japan, where there is no GSM/2G coverage, only UMTS-2100; with the N95, you have to choose between UMTS-850/UMTS-1900 for North America or UMTS-2100 for international use.).

* Keys are spaced out a bit more than on the N95 – easer to type.

* Details of the UI are better thought through – e.g. text typing key functions/feedback.

* Some nice bundled applications: Stopwatch/Timer (which are curiously missing from the N95), a built-in flashlight application (uses the autofocus LED), and a built-in “remote control” application that allows cursor/keyboard control of bluetooth-enabled computer (e.g. for presentations)

* Real XENON flash! (+++) While indoor pictures are not as good as with a real standalone pocket camera, they are definitely better than the N95.

* Quicker camera action (e.g. shutter lag).

* I quite liked the navigation pad w/center button on top – but see below.

* Slightly slimmer, while not adding too much to the length (like the Nokia N82, for instance).

* [When compared to the non-8GB models N95-1 and N95-3] The screen is flush with the frame, leaving no creacks where smudge builds up.

And here are some cons:

* Smaller screen (2.2″ vs. 2.6″ or 2.8″).

* Not a smartphone – can only run J2ME/Java apps. (Since Java is a “secure” language, this leaves some of the phones capabilities out of reach for such applications; for instance, something like the “RotateMe” application for the N95 would not be possible, since it needs to access the phone’s accelerometer).

* No built-in GPS (but navigation applications such as the free AmazeGPS will work fine with an external Bluetooth GPS adapter).

* No video out, no infrared, no WiFi.

* No standard 2.5mm or 3.5mm headset jack

* Uneven tactile feedback: The soft keys are touch sensitive, while the the numeric keys and the navigation pad are quite firm (strong tactile feedback).

* Various limits (e.g. 5-alarm limit, 1000-entry phonebook limit, limited fields per contact, etc).

* The surface attracts more smudge/fingerprints (in part due to the touch-sensitive buttons; but also on the back/camera-side)

* Battery life sucks!! (People diss the N95 – but I have never come across something as bad as the k850i…)

* Video streaming [...] does not work on AT&T’s network! This seems to be a bug/interoperability issue with all Sony Ericsson phones. Setting a streaming proxy in the connection profile does not help. On the other hand, it IS still possible to stream from another computer or device that is connected to the internet through the phone (via Bluetooth or USB). Thus, this may be related to UDP port number assignments.

* No easy way to quickly turn the device “offline” (ie. airplane mode) without restarting. (As to why, search google for “884 MHz GSM”). OTOH, alarms still ring if the device is turned off.

* Menu layout and idle screen soft keys are NOT customizable! (Why!?! Even the otherwise crappy MOTO RAZR/KRZR phones allow this!!)

Other thoughts:

* It is a little bit expensive for the feature set, when compared to the N95. I picked this up at Frys Electronics, a local store, for $499; it can be had online for about $420. In contrast, the N95-3 can be bought for about $550 now, and the N95-4 (NAM 8GB model) for about $650.

* People complain about the touch-buttons not registering all the time. The trick is to aim for the actual label on the screen, not the buttons themselves. Doing this, I have no issues.

* With either phone, get a custom dash mount/charging cradle (e.g. from proclipusa.com). Depending on your car, you might want to get the second part, the vehicle mount, from PanaVise instead (such as the Panavise Custom InDash Mount for Toyota Sienna ’04-’06)

Review by Rhona Edwards-cato for Sony Ericsson K850i Cyber-shot Unlocked Cell Phone with 5 MP Camera, U.S./International 3G, Media Player, M2 Memory Slot–International Version with No Warranty (Velvet Blue)
Rating:
Well the phone is astonishingly sexy. Very sleek, not too bulky, easy on d eyes…. Its economically worth the glamour. THe touch screen takes some getting used to, as it was a bit difficult to operate initially. The camera is AMAZING. Love the clarity of the picture as well as the xenon flash which greatly enhances the night photos. I compared it to my friend’s N95 and the picture is in fact a bit clearer at night. Daytime is give or take…. Don’t reccommend it for those of u with big fingers, as it is a bit uncomfortable operating the “clear” key, as well as the shortcut key. Overall, it is a good purchase, and u will not regret getting your own. Jus beware of the touch screen – takes some getting used to – and get a protective case cuz if it falls u WILL CRY!!!! (as it has a very smooth finish).

Review by O-livier for Sony Ericsson K850i Cyber-shot Unlocked Cell Phone with 5 MP Camera, U.S./International 3G, Media Player, M2 Memory Slot–International Version with No Warranty (Velvet Blue)
Rating:
This is our second “K series” SE phone and we encountered a similar issue on the K750i and now this K850i : the phones would not charge any longer after about a year for the K750… Fancier, the K850 had an even shorter life : 3 months… Very sad… I suspect the pins for the charging connectors are breaking/ not making contact with the phone…

I guess I will not insist on the next SE well marketed series coming out and will explore other brands from now on… Overall, nice phones, user friendly interface, nice screen and menu navigation… But with a lifespan of just 3 months! just nor durable enough… Since we purchased it “without warranty” On Amazon, SE’s response for a diagnosis and repair would range in the ~$160 range… Add that to the equation and it is looking like a very very expensive phone…