Sony Ericsson C905 review: Cyber shot, cyber hot

High megapixel count is the rage these days and Sony Ericsson C905 is adding fuel to the fire. The first 8 megapixel GSM cameraphone to make headlines is shipping as we speak. On top of geotagging, Smart Contrast, face detection, and xenon flash, the elaborate camera-centric outfit hides the extra sweet Wi-Fi, GPS and turn-by-turn voice guided navigation. Is it us, or are cameraphones and smartphones alike lining up to negotiate a truce with Sony Ericsson C905?

The Cyber-shot squad has its trustworthy captain and its job is to keep spirits high in the face of cut-throat competition by Samsung and LG. Is it just us, or isn't Nokia missing quite some action here?

Key features:

• 8.1 MP autofocus camera with Xenon flash and active lens cover
• Dedicated camera mode switch, two camera/gaming keys over the display
• Face and Smile detection, smart contrast, image stabilizer, geotagging, red-eye reduction
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and HSDPA (3.6 Mb) / tri-band HSDPA for US version
• Scratch resistant mineral glass 2.4" TFT 256K-color display
• Built-in GPS with A-GPS function, Wayfinder Navigator software
• Wi-Fi b/g with DLNA and SIP VoIP support, Bluetooth (with A2DP), USB v2.0
• Enhanced user interface with basic multi-tasking
• Media Center, Smart search, Manage Messages, extended TrackID
• FM radio with RDS and TrackID
• 160 MB built-in memory, M2 card support, 2GB included

Main disadvantages:

• Display is relatively small for a high-end device
• Video recording limited to QVGA resolution at 30fps
• No front facing video call camera
• No office document viewer
• Sliding lens cover of questionable durability
• Exposed connectivity port
• Fiddly battery cover