Sony Ericsson P1i

• Features

Connectivity options are plentiful on the P1i. For the cellular networks, it is a triband GSM phone and 3G-enabled. Other wireless options include wireless LAN and Bluetooth. Its Bluetooth implementation supports A2DP, which means you can connect a wireless stereo headset to it for music playback

While its wireless options should be sufficient for most users' needs, it is regrettable that they are exactly the same as the P990i's. We would have appreciated the addition of HSDPA for faster cellular data connections or a quadband GSM radio for better roaming options

The OS used on the P1i is Symbian 9.2 with the UIQ 3.1 interface. Symbian is the same OS used on many mid- to high-end Nokia phones, but the Series 60 interface used on those devices is very different from the touchscreen-supported UIQ on the Sony Ericsson smart phones. As with any OS, a user going in cold will need some adjustment time, but it is safe to say that the UIQ learning curve is not steep. Tapping the screen with the stylus is the best way to navigate the menus, naturally, but one-handed operation is not as convenient as other competing OSes. For example, moving between tabs in option screens requires either tapping the display or using the left and right arrow keys found on either side of the spacebar button. This is tedious because your left thumb, which can scroll up and down as well as depress the selector, must shift to either touch the screen or downward to the arrow keys to perform basic functions. It may seem nit-picky to point this out on a device meant to be used with a stylus, but the truth of the matter is that both Palm OS and Windows Mobile (5.0 onward) have made the direction pad efficient to the point where you can get to almost every field without touching the LCD panel

The 3.2-megapixel camera found on the P1i has both an autofocus feature and LED light for dark situations. It produces good images for a mobile phone, and comes with options like macro and night mode for those specific situations. A second front-facing camera is found on the top left corner for video calls.

full charge of the 1,120mAh battery lasted us about 2.5 days. This included some Web browsing using both wireless LAN and 3G aside from normal phone use like calls and text messaging. Voice calls came through clearly, as was also the case with video calls when using the speakerphone. .