Sony Ericsson C905 review: Cyber shot, cyber hot

High megapixel count is the rage these days and Sony Ericsson C905 is adding fuel to the fire. The first 8 megapixel GSM cameraphone to make headlines is shipping as we speak. On top of geotagging, Smart Contrast, face detection, and xenon flash, the elaborate camera-centric outfit hides the extra sweet Wi-Fi, GPS and turn-by-turn voice guided navigation. Is it us, or are cameraphones and smartphones alike lining up to negotiate a truce with Sony Ericsson C905?

The Cyber-shot squad has its trustworthy captain and its job is to keep spirits high in the face of cut-throat competition by Samsung and LG. Is it just us, or isn't Nokia missing quite some action here?

Official photos of Sony Ericsson C905 Copper Gold

Official photos of Sony Ericsson C905 Night Black

Lifestyle photos of Sony Ericsson C905

Key features:

• 8.1 MP autofocus camera with Xenon flash and active lens cover
• Dedicated camera mode switch, two camera/gaming keys over the display
• Face and Smile detection, smart contrast, image stabilizer, geotagging, red-eye reduction
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and HSDPA (3.6 Mb) / tri-band HSDPA for US version
• Scratch resistant mineral glass 2.4" TFT 256K-color display
• Built-in GPS with A-GPS function, Wayfinder Navigator software
• Wi-Fi b/g with DLNA and SIP VoIP support, Bluetooth (with A2DP), USB v2.0
• Enhanced user interface with basic multi-tasking
• Media Center, Smart search, Manage Messages, extended TrackID
• FM radio with RDS and TrackID
• 160 MB built-in memory, M2 card support, 2GB included

Main disadvantages:

• Display is relatively small for a high-end device
• Video recording limited to QVGA resolution at 30fps
• No front facing video call camera
• No office document viewer
• Sliding lens cover of questionable durability
• Exposed connectivity port
• Fiddly battery cover

Sony Ericsson C905

Sony Ericsson C905 is no doubt trying to give it all. Now, finding room for all those goodies is a tough one indeed. Despite its massive thickness we love the C905 design and its imaging-related ergonomics. The impressive girth isn't that striking alongside the Pixon and will only get in your face against a real thin shooter like Sony Ericsson C902. You do get used to this in a while, and it's an enjoyable feature set after all.