6/5/2023 0 Comments Sony ericsson candybar phoneHowever, you can add widgets to the homescreen, which you can then scroll left and right between. The homescreen is essentially fixed with notification icons across the top and shortcuts to contacts, the main menu and a search function across the bottom. Video is also nice to watch, though given the screen size you’re unlikely to want to do this with any regularity.Īside from the impressive image handling, the Symbian-based operating system Sony Ericsson has employed does an excellent job when it comes to ease of use and speed. Black levels are also decent and despite a seemingly mediocre resolution of 240 x 320 pixels, everything looks smooth and easy to read – a testament to the phone’s image handling rather than inherent quality of the screen, it must be said. Yes, its viewing angles aren’t as good as OLED and its colours aren’t quite so saturated but the former is still perfectly adequate and the latter are still strong. LCD, rather than the much lauded OLED, is the technology used for the Elm’s 2.2in screen, but don’t let this put you off. As we said in the Naite review, you’ll probably do the environment more good by buying second-hand but we’re at least glad to see some evidence of the tech world embracing a greener way of life. The charger (the only other thing in the box bar a couple of manuals) is also supposed to be more efficient, and when you unplug the phone it reminds you to unplug or turn off the charger as well. These include using recycled plastics and non-toxic paints to construct the phone as well as using a small cardboard box with no plastic padding for transportation. Something we haven’t touched on yet is the Elm’s supposed environmentally friendly characteristics. The included headset has two earpieces and incorporates a microphone but it’s not a patch on even a £20 pair of headphones when it comes to music listening. In other words, if you want to use your choice of headphones with this phone, you’ll have to invest in a third party adapter. This replaces a conventional headphone socket and unlike many Sony Ericsson devices, the company hasn’t included a headset adapter in the box. Aside from the camera and its flash on the back, the only other notable physical feature is the charging port it’s the usual proprietary Sony Ericsson one. Here there’s a shutter button for the 5-megapixel camera and a volume rocker switch that doubles as a digital zoom. We’ve always found this layout to be quick and easy to use and so it is here.įurther controls can be found on the right edge. The bottom left button calls up a combined task manager and shortcut box while the button marked ‘C’ performs a backspace function. Then we have call answer and call end (and power) buttons and the D-pad in-between. The navigation keys are standard Sony Ericsson fare and the two soft keys’ functions change depending upon the application you’re using. However, the overall body of the phone is a little creaky and wobbly: something that shouldn’t affect its performance but just takes the edge off any feeling of quality. The screen has a tough and perfectly flat finish and the keys are all securely seated with no excessive wobble and a nice positive click. While the aluminium back hints at a phone with high build quality, the rest of the Elm doesn’t quite hold up so well. This gives it a peculiar bottom-heavy profile that we’re not sure we approve of, despite it making the phone sit more securely in your hand. Perhaps most striking, though, is how the phone becomes thicker about a quarter of the way up its back. This backplate also covers the top section of the phone rather than the bottom or whole thing, as is more conventional. For a start, the backplate is brushed aluminium, which is a finish we certainly wouldn’t expect to find on such a modest handset. Sony Ericsson hasn’t strayed too far from familiar territory with the Elm’s styling – there’s sadly no wooden finish, for instance – but it has tweaked a few things here and there. However, at just 45mm wide and 14mm deep it’s far from a chunky handset. It stands 110mm tall, making it only a mite shorter than large handsets such as the iPhone. This is a typical candybar phone with a 2.2in screen set above central navigation controls and a 12-button keypad at the bottom. Available for around £150 either SIM-free or on PAYG, it’s the next step up and correspondingly has a much better specification. It was a nice enough budget handset but definitely had room for improvement, which is where the Elm J102 comes in. We first encountered Sony Ericsson’s new line of environmentally friendly ‘Greenheart’ phones when we looked at the Naite.
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