When words are not enough

Apart from the GSM frequencies, Sony Ericsson W900 also supports UMTS and thus allows for making video conversations via the tiny camera located on its front side. Video conversations are established in a relatively slow pace, but obviously, such a drawback is not due to a defect in the device. In a few seconds you will see the other part's video image on the display, while your own image is viewed in a small window in the down left corner of the screen. This window is perhaps much too small, because one needs to pay extra attention on staying in focus. On the other hand, you can switch between the two images or deactivate the smaller one for good. Both options are accessed from the menu.

W900 offers a 2x digital zoom. Brightness setup and night-mode are two of the other options that can be found in the context menu. In addition, you can choose, whether the opposite part of the video conversation should see your actual video image or just a selected steady picture.

You would do better if you make video conversations with plugged in earphones or perhaps even with a Bluetooth handset for the speaker is often quite unpractical. You may also want to show your video partner the image captured by the camera on the back side of the phone. To switch to it close the device and then press the left context key.

Along video conversations both parties can share their picture. Press the right arrow to go to the second tag, in whose right part you will see previews of all pictures saved in the phone. Select one of them and send it by a single press on the appropriate button.

High-class MP3 player

Quite understandably, the music player is one of Sony Ericsson W900's main functions. That explains why there are several start options available. You can use either the small button on phone's right side, or the upper way of the control button, or one of the items in the main menu.

Sony Ericsson W900 music player is identical to the one in W800. It plays both MP3 and AAC files. According to the information provided in the ID3 tag it is also able to sort music files by artist and by album. Of course, it plays files without filled ID3 tags too.

In first place in the main menu of the music player you will see a play reference, which starts the last selected list from the moment where it was interrupted. An item called Artists is second in order. Here you will find a list of all artists, whose music tracks are present in the phone's memory. When you select an artist, a second press on the confirm button gets you to the albums' list. A click on the particular album unfolds a list with the music tracks that compose it. To start listening, press play or the middle part of the control key. The player starts from the music file you selected and then proceeds with the next one.

An item called "All" appears on the first place in both the albums' and the artists' list. In the first case it unfolds a list of all music tracks from the particular artist; in the second case it opens a list of all albums from all artists altogether. To search the lists with music files use the vertical arrows of the control key. Voice search is not applicable here.

W900' music player also provides you with the option to create special music lists to your own will. To compose such a list, search the memory and mark off the music files that interest you. Files are not sorted by ID3 tags as you search the phone's structure located in the memory.

Along playing both the artist's name and the name of the album and the music file appear on the display. Here you will also find other useful details - for example, what part of the file has already been played or the position of the relevant song in the entire playing list. The graph indicating the playing process is located in the bottom of the display. A short press on one of the horizontal ways of the control button takes you to the previous or to the former file. A long press takes you further on in the same file. The vertical ways of the control button open the playing list.

The first option to be found in the context menu is Minimize. If you apply it, the music plays on, but you are free to use any other function of the phone. When the player switches to the next track, its name appears for a moment in the upper bar on the display. Besides, the menu offers a random and repeating option, and an equalizer setup option.

The music player plays videos as well. It reads both 3GP and MPEG4 formats. You can view picture in a full-screen mode and watch it horizontally.

Camera remains the best

Sony Ericsson W900 can perfectly be used as a digital camera as well. The maximum resolution is 1632 × 1224 pixels. The same auto-focus camera can be found in Sony Ericsson K750/D750/W800 models.

When taking pictures you can hold the phone with both your hands, just like you would do with a common digital camera. Well, in fact you have to do it, because the camera application will not go if the phone is open. Your right pointing finger will comfortably lie on the double-stage release button. The releasing process is standard - press slightly to focus and then press-full to take a picture.

Too much of everything

Sony Ericsson W900 certainly has some of the best and richest equipment a mobile phone has ever had, but... It is quite big and heavy. Besides that, its rotating construction is not very practical. The full blackout of the display is not helpful either for it does not alert you immediately about missed events. The phone lacks a built-in radio, which disadvantages it in comparison with existing Sony Ericsson models. The most crucial obstacle for W900 to become a commercially successful phone however will probably be its price - 530 euro is simply a lot.

To sum up, whether you will buy this phone or not depends on nothing else but your needs. If you feel attracted to the conception of a music mobile phone, then you may have to make your choice between two Sony Ericsson models - W900 and W800. The more expensive option will bring you fast data and video conversations in UMTS networks, a bigger and better display, huge built-in memory and a pair of other less important details. So is 130 euro more worth them? At the same time, Sony Ericsson W800 is more compact, it has a top-quality built-in radio and its display is pretty good, even if smaller. All this makes me think that the group of W900 fans will hardly ever become really numerous. On the other side, this will make this new Sony Ericsson model look really exclusive and mavericks will have their own back