Oct 13, 2004 03:42 PM
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(Updated Oct 13, 2004 03:42 PM)
Sony Ericsson seems to finally understand that there is a market for folder phones . Introduced with the new flagship Z600, the new Z200 aims to grab the attention of the younger, more hip crowd. And the Z200 has a lot of cool things going for it. 40 voice polyphonic ringtones, for example. Interchangeable cover faceplates, 2 of which are included, allow for some visible personalization. And a really cool round external subdisplay, that makes for a really nice analog clock.
But the Z200's style isn't just state-of-the-art, it's technology as well. The 4096 color display of the Z200 measures 128 x 128 pixels. A Large screen and high resolution: images and wallpapers will look good - just as the smart design of the Z200 suggests. Add pictures to your contact info and you'll really see who's calling. When your friend calls, his or her picture is shown on the display.
The Z200 comes with a funky strap holder, making the phone appear much more compact than the rest of the clamshells. The color scheme and textures are also pretty different from the regular metallic silver-grey combos. The shells are made up of high quality plastics and have a very smooth finish to them, which feels great, but is also susceptible to scratches. The outer LCD is a circular monochrome display with an orange background.
The unique personality continues to unfold as one opens the phone; the keypad is pretty ''new'' in looks and design. The layout is neat and the buttons are placed very spaciously, but they seem to have minimum elevation, which might cause some discomfort for quick navigation.
The overall looks, feel and personality of the Z200 surely stands out from the rest of the clamshell phones, which are more or less similar in design. The Z200 is a tri-band GSM phone with dual display, the outer monochrome LCD displays the network strength, battery life and flashes the caller id. Alternatively, one can also set the phone to display an analogue watch as a screen saver while in stand-by.
The display is bright and well balanced, the contrast levels are well implemented to give vivid colors and there aren't any signs of the yellow tinge or washed out images. The adjustments for contrast levels and a list of themes and very attractive wallpapers compliment the funky image of the phone. The default options for selecting various wallpapers (background) are some of the best I have seen, a clever mix of nature, abstract, and funny cartoons.
As far as the connectivity is concerned, the Z200 supports WAP 1.2.1 over GPRS (class 10) and houses an Infrared port. The biggest drawback with the Z200 is the lack of support for MMS; it only supports SMS and EMS. The rest of the features are pretty much standard, the memory pool is approximately 1 MB, which is almost bare minimum for a color screen phone. The Z200 offers a wide variety of ringers.The organizer is pretty helpful and detailed, allowing you to set the reminders and planners. Another setback is the lack of support for Java, striking out the possibility of downloading Java applications.
Games, however, are taken care of by Mophun, you can download and install from the over 500 games based on the Mophun platform. Even though the Z200 does not have an integrated camera, one can use the attachable external Communicam MCA-30 if one needs the clicking option. Out of the three games - Alien Scum, Honey Cave and Mini Golf, the first two are pretty entertaining and can prove helpful to kill some time. Honey Cave in particular is one of those addictive types.
the voice reception and transmission is good, the voice is loud and clear both ways. The network reception is in line with other budget phones, it's very much like a typical Sony Ericsson phone, and one cannot expect signals in weak areas where very few are able to deliver. The interface is fast overall, but not very conducive to messaging, the phone exhibits signs of sluggishness when put through graphically heavy tasks like games or browsing through the wallpapers. The ringers are sufficiently loud and they sound good, while the vibration alert is on the weaker side.
The outer display is pretty useful in providing all the basic details without having to flip the phone, but the caller name, which scrolls on the screen can be missed and one needs to wait a while for it to scroll again. The battery stays up for 2-3 days depending on the usage, the games drain out the battery very fast, if you plan to game a lot on the Z200, you will have to charge it almost every alternate day.
For a street price of Rs. 8,500/-, this color screen clamshell phone is one of the cheapest in its league. The phone is not perfect; it does have its share of shortcomings just like any other phone. The looks and style that the Z200 carries makes it stand out from the rest. The absence of support for MMS and Java keeps the Z200 away from being a perfect budget clamshell phone. The Z200 targets the youth with its funky personality and it's a good alternative for those who are looking to break away from the ordinary.
