Sony Ericsson C902 Black review

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Sony Ericsson have long had the reputation of producing the most camera-like camera phones, the K800i was a fantastic performer and the more recent K850i proved worthy too, despite being hampered by odd buttons and bandwagon-jumping touchscreen controls. The C902 is their latest CyberShot device and in true Sony Ericsson style, it has been completely reworked again. But will it reach the dizzy heights of its predecessors?

Obviously, the headline feature of the C902 is the camera. It's a 5 megapixel lens with autofocus and a flash unit, all cleverly hidden away behind a door which you open by pulling the top of the phone – just like those tiny cameras used in 70s spy movies! This not only looks good, but prevents lens damage and any accidental exposure when the phone is in your bag or pocket. You also get image stabilisation, a macro mode, BestPic and face recognition software too.

Using the phone itself will be simple for any Sony Ericsson veteran, as the software is essentially the same as found on several other models. For everyone else, the system is the usual grid-based icon menu all easily navigated with the D-pad, however, users now have the chance to change this view for a new rotating or large single icon system, depending on their preference, and many of the icons have had an animation work over.

Sony Ericsson have returned to a more traditional keypad design, but have not shaken off their touchscreen obsession, however they have implemented it slightly differently. Instead of permanent touchscreen buttons, eight appear flanking the screen when the lens cover is opened, and relate only to camera functions. Their blue glow looks great and although their functionality is limited, it's a nice way of keeping the C902 ahead of the game.

The other instantly noticeable thing about the handset is its very slim frame. Sony Ericsson as made some super slim Walkman phones, but the Cybershot's always carried an extra few grams – making them chunkier. The C902 however, has a 10.5mm thick casing and a weight of 107 grams; that's 7mm thinner and 11 grams lighter than the K850i! Available in Swift Black or Luscious Red on release, this could be considered their finest looking Cybershot phone yet.

In addition to the wide range of camera features, the C902 has the regular media player with Mega Bass and TrackID, a motion-sensitive Need for Speed 3D game, an FM RDS radio and a generous 160MB of internal memory backed up with a Memory Stick Micro card slot. The phone is a 3G device with 3.6Mbps HSDPA support and can be used in conjunction with a Blogger account for picture and video blogging. The camera shoots video at 30fps. The C902's quoted battery performance also looks good, with 400 hours standby and 9 hours of talktime possible from the Li-Ion cell.

For understated style and a wealth of high quality features, it's hard to fault the C902 and the only issues which did present themselves were the rather tightly packed keypad and soft key arrangement and the memory card slot being underneath the battery cover. But neither of these things detract from the C902 being an awesome performer and worthy holder of King of the current CyberShot phones.

If you're after an independent review of the C902 check out Mobile-Phones-UK's Sony Ericsson C902 Review or their Sony Ericsson C702 Review. Recommended Buys also have an excellent Sony Ericsson C902 Review and a Sony Ericsson C702 Review.

Sony Ericsson C902 Black specs and features

• 5 megapixel camera with Cyber-shot technology
• Quad Band
• 8 illuminated camera touch keys
• HSDPA for super fast access
• EDGE and GPRS
• 160MB internal memory
• Memory Stick Micro (M2) card slot for expandable memory
• FM radio and MP3 player
• Dimensions: 108 x 49 x 10.5 mm
• Weight: 107 grams
• Standby Time: Up to 400hrs
• Talk Time: Up to 9hrs