Sony Ericsson T303 Cell Phone

A sexy minimalist slider, Sony Ericsson T303 gives the low-end a new edge with looks and construction well above its rank. Even if not a full-house in terms of skill and style, the basic multimedia coverage and solid feel in hand are well worth it. The FM radio with RDS, MP3 player and the 1.3 megapixel camera make sure the T303 will be kept busy. After all, many will likely find it too sexy for a call-and-text device only. The smooth sliding, the sharp chrome-highlighted exterior and the diminutive size are still the undoubted winners when it comes to the attraction of Sony Ericsson T303. Way beyond any of the features it offers

Sony Ericsson T303 – Look and feel



The Sony Ericsson T303 is a shout back to the time when the smaller the phone, the higher regard it was held. With a tiny body and a feather-like weight of just 93 grams, it’s impressively compact, especially considering that it sports a slider format with a roomy, flat 3x4 button keypad. However, along with the shortcut and cancel keys on the front of the device, the keypad lacks resistance and consequently feels spongy. Likewise, the two selection keys situated just below the screen are too narrow and feel a little sharp.

The T303 is available in two colours; Shadow Black and Shimmering Silver. Our review sample was the latter, and it simply sparkled. The screen has a mirror like finish that perfectly complements the silver body. But activate the screen and it’s difficult to contain your disappointment. The resolution is extremely low at just 128x160 pixels with only 65,000 colours; however, the most disappointing aspect of the display is that it only measures 1.8-inches diagonally across. While the menu icons are dainty enough to fit comfortably in view, and text is easy to read, the camera view suffers as a result. Particularly disappointing is that, while a small tool bar takes up the bottom of the screen, a further quarter of it remains redundant for no apparent reason.



Sony Ericsson T303 – Camera credentials



There is no dedicated camera key, so you’ll either have to access it through the menu options or press the navigation pad upwards when on the home screen. This also means that to take a pic you need to press the central command key, which we always feel is a constant reminder that you’re using a camera ‘phone’ rather than a dedicated camera. The pictures themselves are below average, with a lack of pre or post settings available. There’s also no zoom option.

The T303 operates on a GPRS data connection, which meant that loading up websites was not as lethargic as we feared. However, when scrolling down pages it did take a couple of seconds for the page to catch up with the scroll bar.



Sony Ericsson T303 – Radio recording



Music wise and the T303 have an onboard MP3 player. Unfortunately, there is only 8MB of shared memory and no memory card slot, so you’ll only have room for your favourite tracks. There’s also no 3.5mm headset port, and it’s strange that Sony Ericsson has decided not to double up the boxed-in headset as a handsfree device. But we will award points for the fact that you can record radio direct from the handset. The sound quality does suffer, but it’s a useful feature on a low-end device. Users will also be able to identify tracks with Sony Ericsson’s stalwart TrackID, which is also onboard.







Sony Ericsson T303 – The verdict



Placing too much emphasis on what the Sony Ericsson T303 doesn’t have would be a disserv