With the introduction of its very own Walkman range, Sony Ericsson has made it a rule to release twin models and what initially seemed to be just minor differences in design and sales package, is growing into something bigger now. When facing off the Z710i and the W710i, we see that the Z-labeled handset for “masses” carries no sporty features like pedometer and calories counter and consequentially, is offered at a lower price, which is reduced even more owing to absence of rubberized casing, unclaimed by the mass market. The good things about the new model also include changed backlighting color from orange found on the W710i to the Z710i’s blue. The fact the design has remained untouched acts in the company’s favor, as the succession doesn’t get dissolved throughout the line-up (which retains such phones as Z520i, Z530i and W300i).
The Z710i is a nice-sized phone. It's not slim or particularly lightweight, but is a nice size and weight to hold in your palm. The keypad is well designed and functional, and the phone is very easy to use. The external display is greyscale, with blue backlighting, but the main internal display is a high quality TFT display with 262k colours and a good resolution. The camera is one of the best available in this price-range: a 2 megapixel camera with digital zoom and a night mode (but no flash). There's also a video recorder and the VideoDJ application lets you edit your videos on the phone. A media player is provided, supporting MP3 and AAC music formats, and there is also an FM radio. Audio quality is good. Although there isn't much memory in the phone (just 10 Mbytes), the Z710i supports Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) cards, so you can expand the memory to a Gbyte or more. The phone supports all common connections: Bluetooth, Fast Port, USB (including USB mass storage) and infrared.
Putting ourselves in the mindset (if only for a moment) of a corporate suit on the lookout for a capable midrange phone, the Z710i stacks up impressively on paper for a clamshell in its class: 2-megapixel camera, Memory Stick Micro expansion, extensive media support with external controls, and dimensions that make it all but disappear in a pocket. In practice, it's just a solid device, and there's just not a lot to say about it. Then again, Sony Ericsson would probably have it no other way for its low-key clamshell.
The new Sony Ericsson Z710, unveiled today in London, is targeted at business users that wish to get work done, but still want to be able to relax. The reserved looking clamshell handset supports features such as push email and access to RSS feeds, but still offers a 2 megapixel digital camera and a media player that supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, and eAAC+ music formats.
Compared with the W710i, the Z710i's exterior features are both improved and somewhat disappointing at the same time. We'll start with the bad news first. We dinged the W710i for its bland external display and we're going to have to do the same with the Z710i. Like its predecessor, the display is very large (1.5 inches) but the monochrome resolution means it doesn't support photo caller ID. It also won't act as a viewfinder for self-portraits, but Sony Ericsson redeemed itself this time around by adding a self-portrait mirror to the camera lens just above (there's still no flash though). You can change the backlighting time, and though the brightness isn't customizable the display remains visible in direct light.
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