P1 is more phone than PDA

BILLED AS the latest addition to its P Series handsets, the latest P1 from Sony Ericsson is much more of a real mobile phone than a PDA with wireless communications built in. Its 25 per cent smaller than the P990 and just feels like a real handset.

Sony Ericsson hasn't skimped when it comes to cramming capabilities into such a small package. Not only is it a 3G and GSM phone, it also supports Wi-fi (802.11b) too. Plus the version we saw actually has Internet telephony built in.

Other communications features include Bluetooth, USB 2.0 and infra-red. The latter might be a tad old fashioned these days but it can be much faster than using Bluetooth in certain circumstances. On the surface, the list of built in applications would definitely give you the impression that the P1 is intended to be a business phone. That's true but it's a fun business phone.

For example, how many business folk really need a camera which boasts 3.2 megapixel resolution? And it's got a built-in FM radio. Plus support for stereo Bluetooth means that you can listen to your favourite tunes in all their splendour.

Another improvement is support for the new memory Stick Micro cards which means they're absolutely tiny. As standard the handset should ship with a 512M Micro stick along with the 160 MB of memory that's built in.

The INQ has a chat with one of the P1's product managers about battery life. When the screen offers 262,144 pixel resolution; the handset supports 3G as well as GSM and there's Wi-Fi; getting decent battery life represents a bit of challenge.

He reckons, however, that writing applications to be power efficient is the trick. Anyway, the company is claiming three and a half hours of talktime when connected to a 3G network. So it isn't too bad.

A major feature of this handset, however, is comprehensive support for push email. The list includes everything from Exchange Activesync and Blackberry Connect to Visto.

Plus there a remote wipe facility should the handset be lost or stolen. A personal favourite, however, was the built in business card reader. Snapping our business card with camera meant that the P1 read all our vital contact details perfectly. And it put our entry straight into the addressbook. Mega impressive.

For the record, the P1 uses both the very latest version of Symbian (9.1) and the latest version of UIQ (3.0). Plus the screen is touch sensitive.

The maker claims that the handset's dual function keypad means that it can be used for one handed operation. In other words, the P1 is a real phone. And a very smart one to boot. ?

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Product: Sony Ericsson P1
Full specs: Sony Ericsson
Availability: Q3 2007

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Barwench's Verdict