Sony Ericsson's Slim C902 Cyber-shot

Sony Ericsson C902

Sony Ericsson C902

Sony Ericsson C902

Sony Ericsson C902

The C902i is Sony Ericsson's latest offering to the camera phone world, with a 5 megapixel camera that features face recognition technology and a funky lens cover built into its slim, stylish body. Throw in HSDPA and Bluetooth A2DP and you've got a very capable new handset - but is this something new, or just another 5 megapixel candybar?

Physical Aspects

First impressions of the Sony Ericsson C902i are very good, with the handset feeling reassuringly heavy in the hand, yet noticeably slender in its 108mm x 49mm x 10.5mm metal body. Actual weight of the device is a fairly average 107g, but the sheer compactness of the device makes it seem higher. The result of this is a feeling of quality and durability, which is mirrored by the sophisticated styling of the device. Up front you'll find the usual array of buttons and a surprisingly large looking screen, until you turn the device on and realize that the screen isn't quite as large as the plastic window covering it. However, there is a reason for this - which we'll come to later. The screen itself was bright and easy to read, with 262k colors and a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. It was also easily readable in direct sunlight and at night.

Below the screen are the usual softkeys, between which the 5-way d-pad sits, outlined by a thin chrome band. Below the softkeys are the Call and End keys, with the End key doubling up as the power button. Below these keys are the shortcut menu and cancel keys, that finish off the upper half of the keypad. The lower half of the keypad consists of the usual numeric keypad which, like most of the other keys, is made from a shiny black plastic. In contrast, the Call/End keys and d-pad are made from a matte black plastic. All the keys illuminate in a contrasting white, making the device look very attractive. The only complaint I have with the keys, is how stiff most of them are. Couple this with the angled profile of each row of keys and writing messages can become slightly awkward. I'd much rather the keypad was flat, as with previous Sony Ericsson devices.

Above the screen you'll find the earpiece slit, the front-facing camera for video calls, and the light sensor. The rear of the device is matte black, aside from some Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot branding and a silver strip of metal towards the top of the device. Toward the bottom of the device you'll find the grille for the built-in speaker. Unusually, there is no camera lens, nor any lump that you'd expect to be concealing one. The back of the device is probably the tidiest of any camera phone I've seen. Holding the device at either end and pulling apart will reveal the lens, which is neatly tucked away within the body of the phone. Also revealed, are the flash and self-portrait mirror - alongside a strip that illuminates blue as the camera is activated.

Buttons for the camera can be found on the right side of the device. There is the camera shutter button, next to which are the zoom buttons, that double up as volume controls and activation for the 'Phone Status' display. It's worth mentioning the design of the sides too, as they have a row of three silver pinstripes that protrude very slightly, wrapping themselves all the way around the sides of the device. This adds to the impression of sophistication and perhaps makes the device look slightly thinner too.

On the left side of the Sony Ericsson C902, you'll find only the charging/headset/data cable port, towards the lower half of the device. Atop the C902 you'll find no buttons, and the bottom of the device houses only the slit for the microphone. Overall, the Sony Ericsson C902 is a very simplistic-looking, yet attractive device.

Sony Ericsson C902

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