When mobile network operator Vodafone announced in November last year that it had scored an exclusive to Sony Ericsson's successor to the Z1010, the V800, reactions from Sony Ericsson enthusiasts across the world suggested they had received a collective and rather intrusive wedgie. After all, despite being the world's largest mobile network operator, not everyone is a Vodafone subscriber - and Sony Ericsson's rising star slowed its ascent (unlike its bank account).
Following a three-month delay, however, Sony Erisson this week unveiled the homegrown-branded version of the V800 at the 3GSM in World Congress, which should appease fans of the brand. Sporting more or less the exact same visual styling as the V800 except for its colour scheme, the Z800i remains one of the best-looking 3G handsets to date and still offers a comprehensive selection of features.
When the Z800i does go on sale, possibly as late as in June, the list of connectivity options will include tri-band GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 MHz as well as WCDMA 2100 MHz, Bluetooth, Infrared and USB. Of course, video call functionality remains present, as does a photo light to aid in recording video and shooting stills at 1.3 Megapixel resolution. In fact, the aforementioned photo light might just be one of the exceedingly few usable implementations of such a concept as it was outright unpleasantly bright.
The implementation of the keypad remains identical to that of the V800, and although it looks more stylish than that found in a number of previous-generation Sony Ericsson handsets, I found it marginally less comfortable. The excellent screen compensates somewhat, and it's also worth noting that the Z800i both has better ergonomics and feels more solid than its predecessor, the Z1010.
Another, yet somewhat gimmicky, feature is the MP3/AAC/M4A audio player, which can play tunes either from the highly limited internal memory or Memory Stick Duo Pro cards up to 1 GB in size. Why I call it gimmicky, you ask? Well, if you've seen the size of the V800/Z800i and subsequently the battery, you wouldn't be asking.
Still, gimmick or not, there's no denying that the Z800i is one of the most elegant, compact and capable 3G handsets on the market. As much as I'm annoyed by Sony Ericsson giving Vodafone three or more months exclusive rights to the handset, the company still deserves props for having brought to market yet another smashing handset. Let's just not hope it'll cost a fortune when they release it to those of us not on Vodafone.
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