Fridae

While HD-quality video capture is becoming more common on compact digicams, there still aren't many mobile phones that can do the same. The Samsung i8910 HD is the most prominent example with its ability to shoot 720p videos, and now, Sony Ericsson has joined the league with its Vivaz smartphone. We managed to get our hands on a prototype unit and here are our observations.

Design

The first thing that struck us about the Vivaz design was how compact it is. Given the number of features it packs, we would have imagined it to be larger. Instead, the Vivaz is smaller and lighter than the i8910 HD and Sony Ericsson's own Satio, at 107 x 52 x 12.5mm and 97g.

The device looks sleek with a curved back battery cover and clean, simple front. Like other Symbian S60 5th Edition touchscreen phones, the display has a resolution of 640 x 360 pixels. This is of the resistive variety, which means it will respond to stylus tips.

Buttons on the front of this smartphone include your standard Call and End and a menu key between. The left is where you will find a micro-USB port for charging and syncing and a 3.5mm audio connector. This is great news for music lovers as you will be able to plug in your favorite headphones without an adapter. Take note that since it is located on the side, you should use a pair of headphones that come with an L-shaped jack. A single power/keylock button sits at the top of the Vivaz.

The right side of the phone is where you'll find all the camera controls when holding the device in landscape mode. The Vivaz's main draw is its 8-megapixel camera, so we'll discuss that and its controls in more detail later.

Features

The Vivaz has no lack of connectivity features. It comes with HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS for satellite navigation.

On the software end of things, the custom S60 5th Edition interface is similar to the Satio's. This means you get a tabbed Home screen which gives you quick access to items such as favorite contacts, Internet bookmarks and even Twitter updates. And like the Satio, there are quirks, too. Swipe scrolling is implemented in some lists, but not in others like the menu screen--an annoying issue.

For memory expansion, a microSD card slot is found behind the back battery cover. The device itself has 75MB built-in, which is pathetic. So having an expansion card is critical, especially if you are using the phone as a music player. If you get tired of your own music library, the Vivaz also has an FM tuner for listening to live radio.