Words: Jason Round

Let me tell you this: Sony Ericsson is damn lucky it’s getting its evaluation phone back at all, because I practically had to remove my GF’s arm to get it out of her clutches, and frankly, even I shed a tear when it came time to send it back.

So, we’ve established it’s a great phone. Sexy? Yep, like a bubble bath with Britney, but let’s have a deeper look at what you get. The Z610i a slim flip phone (a ‘folder’) that features MP3 support, 3G video calling, a very effective two-megapixel camera, picture blogging function and the support of RSS feeds so you can literally watch news as it happens. Of course, you also get full Bluetooth functionality.
The phone itself is super-suave, with an OLCD display literally floating on the metallic reflective outer surface to display time, date, caller and play various animations during calls and the like. Trust us, it’s quite the party trick…

Inside, the magic show continues, with a 262.144-color TFD screen and well-laid-out menu system that is both intuitive and ergonomic. In fact, on the whole, this phone was a piece o’ piss to operate, especially for someone like me who usually has trouble setting the microwave.
The 72-voice polyphonic ringtones are also great, with one particular ‘alarm’ tone pure ecstasy when waking up for another day of hard labour, and the USB charging also came in handy.

Niggles are few and far between, but we did notice there is no camera light and that lens is also in a prime position for damage. That said, you’d be hard to find a phone that looks this good, and it really is one giant leap over the Z800. It’s just how we like our women here – clean, simple and easy.

Physically, the phone weighs nothing, while still being a lot less bulky than some of its flip-open siblings. We also liked the button layout and the finish looks likely to last for some time to come.
If the oceanic blue above doesn’t tickle your fancy, the Z is also being released in reflective black, silver and pink for the girlies. For more info, head to www.sonyericsson.com.