Customer Reviews

Sony Ericsson K790a Phone (Unlocked)

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I used to own the W800i (Walkman) phone. I loved everything about it, but the K790 / K800i phone is EVEN better:
1. bigger and brighter screen size and higher resolution. As a result, the phone is slightly larger than the w800i but the benefits outweighs the size increase. The icons are bigger and clearer. Font size is increased so it's much easier to read text messages. You can now surf the web (not just mobile web pages.) Being able to display the photos on a larger screen is great.
2. I LOVE the RSS reader. With a click of a button, the phone updates the latest news from BBC and Google news and SONY news and updates. I just skim through the head lines which are linked to fuller articles on the websites. This is great for me who commutes on the train every morning. Great time killer standing up or sitting on the train.
3. Walkman is still great. It's not as buggy as W800i. But there is no more MegaBass. It still sounds great. Unfortunately, the phone does not come with memory card. I had to buy one M2 (Memory Stick MICRO) which I had to wait about a month to get since it's really new and not many stores have them in stock. So if you want to fill up the phone with songs, built-in 64MB will not be enough.
4. The camera quality is excellent (for phone camera, that is). I am very particular about digital cameras and picture quality. I find that this camera is overall not as good as a basic, stand-alone, cheap 3 Mpix cameras that are cheaper. HOWEVER, it good lighting condition, it takes great picutres. There is definitely more noticible purple fringe and digital noise than a dedicated digital camera. In low-light condition, even with the super bright flash light, the picture quality is sub-par. There is too much noise. The metering on the camera is so-so. If there is a strong lighting constrast between your subject and the background (such as bright windows), I find the camera has a hard time balancing the light--making the subject too dark. The ability to have a portable camera with me at all time, out weighs all the imperfections I get from it. As a graphic designer, it's important to have access to a camera at all time to grab images for design inspirations.
5. I am curious to start the photo Blog--a built-in feature in the phone.
6. Games look great on this camera. 3D games like MiniGolf and Tennis which came with the phone are amazing.
7. Built-in ring tones and background screen/wall paper sound and look SO much better.
8. Email function works great. I have a dot.mac account and can view and send emails without problems. Right now, the phone does not support flash player so I can't view any .fla files. I don't really care but sometimes websites do require that flash player is installed.
This phone has amazed me and impressed me beyond my expectations. I hope more of my friends have it so that I can try to video phone function!

---------------Pros---------------
- Decent processor to process 3.2 Mpix images and smooth menu browsing.
- Very nice 320x240 hi-resolution, crystal clear LCD works very well even under direct sunlight especially the standby digital clock, hardly able to see pixels compare to w800i, and w810i.
- Very light weight just 115g (4.05 Oz). Slightly heavier than w800i and Motorola V3.
- Auto Focus.
- Using Digital Image Processing to reduce photo noise does improve the picture quality compare to w800i and w810i.
- 3.2 Mpix with various shooting effects and white balancing presets. I tried Twilight Portrait under low light condition for short range photos, I can say the quality can be compared to a real CyberShot Digi Cam.
- Two shortcut bottons on the top of the phone near the speaker for browsing photos.
- Xenon Flash can be Pros and Cons. Effective range is 1 to 2 Meters.
- Animated menu and customizable themes makes the phone more interesting
- MP3 Ringtones
- Multiple Recurrance Alarm schedule
- FM radio can be set as Alarm.
- Bluetooth 2.0 support A2DP (Advance Audio Distribution Profile) for Stereo Bluetooth Headphones
- Able to backup phonebook into memory stick M2 and perfectly synchronizes calendar and contacts with OUTLOOK!!!!!!!!!!!
- High Frame rate for 3D GAMES!!! Although this phone does not have a 3D hardware accelerator, it does run 3D games such as Need for Speed Carbon, Virtual Tennis or other 3D games with high frame rates! It is a lot faster than W800i and W810i!!!!
- One button press for Speaker Phone
- Able to turn ON/OFF Bluetooth and paring Bluetooth Devices such as adding Headsets during a call.
- Multi-Tasking, supports up to 5 JAVA Applications, Music Player, Internet Browser, and other application simultaneously. (Once it reaches the 5 Java Applications, it does not allow user to open any more java programs and there might be stability issue)
- Shortcut key to startup a "Task Manager" like menu for you to resume or end running applications.
- File Manager works very well for copying, moving, and organizing data inside the phone.
- If you have cell phone internet, make sure you go to Sony Ericsson Funs and Downloads to get all the useful applications, themes, ringtones and games.
- NICE AC charger! It comes with a Dual Connector which cascades the AC adaptor with the USB cable or headphone connector to charge your phone while you are using listening to music or connecting to PC.

---------- CONS ---------------
- Camera cover uses glossy material is easy to get finger prints and scratches. Also DO NOT PRESS ON THE COVER SO HARD when sliding! It scratches the CAMERA LENS!!!!!!!! BE CAREFUL!!!
- Extremely low video recording resolution at 176x144!!! Even a real cyber shot can do 640x480! Nokia N73, N93, can do 640x480, samsung D900 and SHARP 902SH at 320x240. Probably their microprocessor is not fast enough to handle hi-res video!
- NO LED LIGHTS!!! COME ON! LED is useful when I need to use it as a normal flash light or tourch in the dark!
- Does not support stronger Xenon Flash accessories MXE-60 by Sony Ericsson. I guarantee the MXE-60 is brighter than the K790A built in xenon flash! The effective range is up to 4 Meters! Twice that of k790a!
- Joystick seems to only support 4 directions (Up,down,left,right), the corners do not work, bad for games!
- Xenon flash may be too strong to saturate the picture in white during close range. It is also very weak for outdoor at night, since there is not enough light reflect back, the effective range is only 1 to 2 Meters (3-6 Feet).
- You CANNOT manually turn ON the Flash, which is very useful when taking photo of a person with camera facing toward a bright background such as a sun or a bright sky.
- Orange or infared LED for auto focusing does not work that well under extremely dark condition with ridge surface.
- Primitive voice recognition system. You must need to record the names and what kind of phone you are calling separately. Back in 2004, the samsung and motorola mpx220 also supports USER INDEPENDENT voice recognition system. That means anyone can make a call regardless male or female, without training nor recording!
- NetBrowser doesn't support xhtml web sites. Cannot check Windows Live Mail. Recommend using OPERA MINI. A lot faster and convenient!
- No 900MHz
- Crowded keypad, hard to press the number pad when they are at the very bottom of your hand and you are worrying about dropping the phone on the floor due to the center of mass leaning toward the camera cover. (Recommand using the given Sony Ericsson Handstrap)
- Provided 64MB Memory Stick Micro is USELESS!
- Impulsive noise between music tracks. Can be solved by using Bluetooth Headphone.
- STEREO BLUETOOTH HEADPHONE does not support EQUALIZER SETTINGS
- No Mega Bass, since Mega Bass is only in walkman branded phones, and usually muffles the music. Customize the EQ for the best result.
- Occasional crash when accessing the memory stick (May be mine is defected?)
- Slow USB transfer speed. Not even USB 2.0 as SE claimed

---------- Suggestions & Recommendations ------------
- get GOOGLE MAP, GMAIL and OPERA MINI.
- Update the firmware via SONY ERICSSION UPDATE SERVICE.
- Get a 1GB Memory Stick Micro, the given 64MB M2 is a piece of crap.
- Delete some bundled applications or files can free up the phone memory from 64MB to 73MB.
- Get a 99% transparent screen protector from EBAY or Online store. Not the soft ones, they easily get scratched.
- Get a silicone case or clear casing for maximum protection.
- Use glossy transparent tape to protect the "CYBERSHOT" lense cover from further scratches while maintaining it's original design.
- Clean the dust clogged in the joystick, as the dust will eventually enter to the LCD screen in couple months even it is "sealed".

A whole new series of 3 megapixel phones are coming out now, so I can't say how this one compares to the others. There is a new Samsung out that is about a half the size, but I don't know about the photoquality. There are many factors that go into the quality of a photo, not just the megapixel count. Other than the size and a few other things, I'm very satisfied with this phone/camera. My overall goal was to be able to go out and about with only one electronics thing. I dont want to carry my ipod, pda, camera, and phone everywhere. This phone suffiently fulfills temporary and short-term outings.

Here are the pros and cons.

PROS:
-Great screen, in terms of size and color
-The phone/address book is very expandable, and can include unlimited phone numbers, addresses, and notes for each contact. You can enter their address, birthday, whatever you want. It syncs with Outlook, but I find that I only call regularly from my mobile phone a small portion of the people from my outlook contacts.
-Photos are very nice. They are a bit smaller in file size than my old Sony 3.2 MP cybershot camera, but on the whole there is not much noticeable difference. The daylight photos are great. Low-light photos are very good for scenary, such as inside European churches, city streets, etc. There is a very good image stabilizer, so the low-light photos are very good considering that my hands shake a lot. Indoor people photos, however, are so-so. This is true with any digital camera as a general rule. But I've had problems with focusing (common) and sometimes i want to use the flash in the daytime (bright background, but person in shadow) and it doesnt always let me. Still, it's convenient.
-Great speaker sound, for music or speaker phone
-Radio. Nice add-on you don't get on a lot of the other 3.2 mp phones.
-Good music playing. Though you can't use your own headphones, you have to use the Sony ones that double as the hands-free microphone/headphones, the sound is very good.
-You can copy and paste onto the memory card or phone any image photos and put them on your phone to show to people or for your own enjoyment.
-Good battery life, if you don't have the screen lit up all the time.
-I haven't used the 3G aspect of it, as this is expensive. But the capability is nice. Haven't tried out the internet either.
-Despite the large size, it feels very comfortable to use. It holds well in the hand, and the number pad keys are soft, though a bit close together.
-Dedicated music play/pause button.
-Good flash, with multiple flashes for red-eye reduction.
-Nice leather hand strap.

CONS:
-Sending SMS to more than one person is a pain. You have to go through several menus to select each person, one at a time.
-Sony memory stick micro. Yet another expensive sony memory card format. MicroSD is the same size, and much cheaper.
-Camera lens cover always sliding down. The new Samsung and Nokia is much better in this respect.

So far this has been the best phone i have ever owned. I've owned had before the k750i and it was good as well. Now I no longer have to carry a separate camera cause of the quality of the 3.2MP camera built in. Calls are loud and clear, the screen is very impressive. The set of features in this phone are outstanding and the bass, surprisingly, while speaker is on is eye opening.

Only complaints are that the shutter has a tendency to open by itself while in my pocket, lack of inventory for the 1gb memory card, and some of the buttons are too close together, then again I am big person.

I would by this phone again 10 times over and I can't wait to see what else sony ericsson while put out next.

I fell in love with this phone the first time I saw it on the SonyEriccson website and decided I had to have it. I researched it for at least month and waited longer before I received it. I read so many reviews about certain parts of the phone that were amazing and other parts that were just okay. I never saw the phone in person so I was only able to dream about it, and let me tell you, I've had the best of the best phones. Well now I have the K790A and all I can say is that it is simply fabulous (and I don't use that "F" word very often!) Here's my take on a few features:

- First off, the screen is brilliant! It is the most clear screen I have ever seen (on a cell or elsewhere). The graphics are so clear that they actually look like someone designed it on a computer, printed it out with the best printer available on the best paper, and inserted it behind the glass. You can't even see the pixels! I could go on, but enough about the screen (it's amazing).

- One thing I was really concerned about after reading all of the reviews was how most people called it bulky. My favorite phone until now was a Motorola RAZR, so the bulky comments concerned me. Let me assure you that this phone is in not bulky whatsoever. There may be phones that are slimmer, but it does not deserve that nickname. I can barely feel it in my pocket, and while the sliding cover for the lens does stick out a bit further, it's not a problem for me in the least.

- The built-in Cyber-Shot camera is one of the coolest features. When it's in camera mode it's hard to remember after a few seconds that you're on a phone. Sony Ericsson sure didn't skimp on the camera software. Everyone who sees it while I'm taking a photo says "How funny...I thought that was a phone!" and it's so great to be able to respond with "it is". From the back it looks like a camera, so I understand the confusion. I admit Indoor photos are something you have to tweak with and they're still not wonderful, but they work for a camera phone (I have yet to get any developed). On the other hand, the outdoor photos are a totally different story! They are MUCH better than I had anticipated. I don't think I'll sell my stand-alone digital camera just yet, but it's wonderful to have a good camera with me everywhere I go so that I don't miss out on those unexpected moments.

- Now to the next cool feature. Let me explain that I'm a 100% techie, and this is something I must comment on. If you haven't seen Sony's new Memory Stick Micro, it's definitely something that will amaze you. It'about square, but it's the width of my pinky finger. If you're into stuff like that, you're going to drool over it.
- One thing I will confirm after reading it multiple times in other reviews is the earpiece volume. It's not loud. If you're hard of hearing you may want to consider something else. It does include a stereo headset that you can use for calls also, but let me warn you that since it's stereo it's got two ear pieces, not one like most normal headsets.

I really wish I could go on about more features and write a full review, but I realize no one probably wants to read quite so much. My bottom line opinion is that it's worth every single penny if technology and the "newest" stuff is your thing.

[...]

Thanks for reading!

I have owned this phone for over a month now.
I have also owned SonyEricsson W800i, T610, several Nokia

PROS:

-Bluetooth, MP3's, REAL Internet, Java, Camera, Streaming Video, RSS Feeds, Screen, Overall Styling, Large Selection of Accessories compatible with other SonyEricssons
-EXCELLENT camara, even for only 3.2MP. Similar camera features to Sony CyberShot Products, including BestShot, which is AWESOME!!!
-Built-in flash, which is not as bright as stand-alone Digital Camera, however VERY useful
-EXCELLENT battery life considering features. Held charge just as good as my W800i with less features.
-Small, fits in ANY pocket decent
-Screen Resolution is rather high, and the pixels are closer together to produce crisper images and refresh rates than other phones. This is something MOTOROLA has been horrible at, including the RAZR and SLVR
-Display has EXCELLENT color compared to any product I've owned, and has glare-resistance in direct sunlight! Also has good viewing angle.
-Joystick makes navigation fast and easy for internet, games, and phone operation
-Durable for being so advanced
-MemoryStick Micro is cheap, and compatible in many other of my Sony products (with its included adapter)
-EXCELLENT call quality
-SUPERB reception, unlike old SonyEricssons. This has as good of reception as any cell phone!
-External speaker has good quality, and louder than previous models
-MP3's play back with acceptional bitrate, and sound great on large sound systems
-Faster processor than predecessors for faster applications (including Internet) and better animated menus and icons
-Faster processor ensures that functions are fast, including saving pictures to memory, which is faster than some standalone digital camaras
-Faster processor helps speed up reviewing items in memory, looking & listening to music and pictures. Many other menufacturers have problems here, including MOTOROLA
-Trend-setting. Not many Americans use these phones -- UNIQUE.
-Phone received good radiation rating, better than most other manufacturers, even with excellent reception
-EASY TO SETUP WITH ANY NUMBER OF PROVIDERS. Simply go to SonyEricsson's website, select your phone, select your network, and have your settings sent to the phone! E-mail, Web, Voicemail, Text Messaging: took me less than 5 minutes to set up, and I didn't need to contact my provider (T-Mobile) or manually enter settings!!!

CONS:

-Like most SonyEricssons, volume is too low during phone calls.
-Camera video is low resolution. Very dissappointing.
-Didn't come with external cord for listening to music like my W800i.
-Only two color selections. I liked the Orange of my W800i.


EXCELLENT OVERALL VALUE IF YOU WANT:
-Phone with awesome reception & features, conference calling, etc.
-MP3 player that sounds great
-Camara that can be used anywhere, quickly, with a flash
-Internet, Video Streams, RSS on the fly
-High-speed Internet to your Laptop
-UNIQUE.

purchased the phone about 3 months, like the nice QVGA screen, and impressed with excellent cam (it works pretty well in macro mode and outdoors)
the phone has good reception, at least on par with W810
voice call is OK, but as other users stated, the level is kinda low (esp speakerphone), firmware upgrade (R1KC001) will help
the operation is standard SE style, if you are familiar, you'll be OK without reading manual
the audio player can play streaming 3gp and realaudio (still used by BBC), and it works well with T-Mobile internet; it can play local mp3 (VBR supported), wma, asf audio (rename the extension to .wma), realaudio; but I wish it supports ogg vorbis, which is the audio format I use
bluetooth works pretty well, it works with ALL bt equipment I have (including wireless headphones)
logitech headphones users please read: in order to make the headphones works properly, you need to go to bt menu, and connect from there
web browser can handle regular html sites as well as simplified html, and wap sites
the phone is kinda bulky, and a bulge on cam cover, but it's pretty comfortable and firm to hold, making messaging is a good pleasure
though the phone has lot of functions/features are pretty appealing, it lacks something it's supposed to have:
quad-band, this is not acceptable for this price, even many lower models have quad-band (K550, W610, W580, W810, Z710, W710)
music player should have more file format support: ogg vorbis, streamimg wma/asf, shoutcast
m2 memory card, though the phone has possibility to support up to 32GB, PSP card is a lot cheaper
pro:
QVGA screen, and it shows clock when the phone is idle
wireless headphones support
3mpx cam with auto-focus and xenon flash
comfortable and firm to hold
con:
low earpiece and speakerphone level (though firmware upgrade will fix)
tri-band
cam cover bulge
conclusion: if you want a phone with excellent screen and cam, go for it, however, if you travel a lot, settle with quad-band models (they're cheaper)

I received this phone about 2 months ago and am very pleased with its photo capabilities. The 3.2 mp photos it produces, both indoors and outside, are good enough in most instances for printing as well as emailing. I've found it very convenient to have the capability to take reasonably good pictures available in combination with my phone. I carry the phone in a soft plastic case used for reading glasses and it fits perfectly and protects the phone from scratches. While it is longer than my old LG clamshell, it is thinner and therefore more comfortable to carry around in my pocket. The included USB cable makes downloading photos very quick and easy. The only thing I dislike about the phone is that the lens cover does not lock in place and seems to work its way to the open position frequently. While this causes the phone to go into "picture taking mode" temporarily, it quickly goes back into sleep mode while in its case and does not exhaust the battery. As it is protected in its case I don't really have any concerns about damage to the lens, however, it would be nice if the lens cover locked a little more securely.

What can I say, this phone rocks! The 2" screen is crisp and clear even in broad daylight. I have also purchased a 1gb M2 chip just to use it as a stand alone mp3 player. Superb quality sound I must say, only thing missing is the megabass feature that's integrated in the "w" series. Other than that it's basically the same. I have tested the music playtime through the included earbuds and have gotten it to run a bit over 12 hours nonstop. Pretty good if you ask me.
Now the real sweet thing about this phone is the almighty 3mp camera. It works and operates just like a real Sony Cybershot digital camera. Fast point and click with very little shutter time makes taking pictures easy and fun. I had an LG p7200 2mp camera phone before and the k790/k800i certainly blows it away by far. Whats better is that this camera phone has a built-in REAL XENON flash. It's amazing people always ask "is that a camera or a phone?" I just tell them that its a camera with a built-in phone.
Bottom line, this is the best phone for the money. Especially if your going to take alot of pictures. Stereo bluetooth headsets should make listening to music pain free. Can't go wrong. Good job Sony!

Like many people, I was looking for a phone that played music, took great photos and had good organizational features. I had previously purchased a W300i and was pleased with it. The phone and MP3 player were great, but the camera and organizer were terrible. I started looking at reviews of various phones and the Sony Ericsson K790A kept on appearing at the top of all the reviews.

I purchased the phone from Amazon.com. It arrived the next day, was in perfect condition and had all the pieces it was supposed to. I thought the entire purchasing experience was great.

The phone has exceeded my expectations. The first thing you notice is the weight of the thing; it has a weight that you would associate with a high quality device. The next thing you notice is the fit and finish; the phone has build quality higher than anything I have ever seen. The phone actually looks better in person than in the pictures. And this is just the beginning.

The feature list of this phone is incredible but if they don't work well, then they just become gimmicks. With the Sony Ericsson K790A, that is not the case. The first thing you notice is the screen. I have never seen a screen as crisp and rich as this.

The camera is great. It won't replace a dedicated camera, but for taking quick snaps when about town, you can't beat it. The images are easily printable to 4x6 with good results.

The MP3 player is great, music is easily transferred to the phone, and you can create playlists right on the phone with ease. Some people say they don't like the fact there is no Mega Bass like the Walkman phones, but I don't find this an issue. The audio quality is great.

The organizer was a huge surprise. You can sync your calender, contacts and task lists with outlook. Reminders for tasks and calender appointments pop up, just like outlook.

You also have the abiltiy creat shortcuts to various settings and features of the phone. I am surprised how much I use this feature.

This is easily the best phone I have ever owned, Period.