Not compelling enough

Gizmo Gallery

Sony Ericsson's P990i is one of the most eagerly-awaited phones.

Smartphones like the P910i have had a near obsessive user loyalty, which only makes P990i's journey a tad tougher even when there are plenty of smartphone choices from names like Nokia, Samsung and Motorola.

The P990i obviously warrants comparison with the P910i. The hardware is improved across the board, most notably with the addition of a usable 35-button keyboard and next-generation connectivity options like 3G and Wi-Fi.

The P990i boasts of multimedia features like a respectable audio and camera output along with a good-sized screen. Its out-of-the-box application suite has been improved with QuickOffice being a particular highlight in comparison to competing devices.

Big but light The phone is big (114 x 57 x 25 mm) but fortunately is relatively light (150 gm). The P990i uses the pen style (when flip open) and softkey style (when flip closed) version of UIQ 3. A powerful user interface, UIQ 3 does not have the same 'pick up and use' feel as S60 (Nokia's strong point) but there are numerous shortcuts that once learnt can significantly speed up P990i's usage.

Alas, the UIQ 3 has its trouble spots too. To end a programme, one has to return to Task Manager and click on 'End' as hitting on the 'Back' button does not close the application!

The usability of the keypad comes under scanner while typing emails and text messages. Although there is some respite from the jog dial (on the side) that remains an excellent scrolling mechanism while viewing websites, a fine tool for a business device like this.

The phone's Opera 8.6 browser supports a full range of web standards and is quick to render most web pages that can be viewed either in 'full web' mode or in 'fit to screen' mode. A basic RSS reader is included too. A FM radio is a well thought multimedia addition. On the back of the phone, Sony Ericsson has thrown in a 2-megapixel camera too.

Another innovative applications that P990i sports is the business card scanner that uses the phone's camera to perform Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on a business card and enter the information directly into contacts (Motorola Ming, introduced recently, also comes with the same feature). This might sound rather gimmicky but works well provided the card is not too fanciful.

Verdict The onboard 60MB memory is not sufficient for a smartphone, thus you would have to seek solace from Memory Stick Duo/PRO Duo that can accommodate up to 8GB. Will the P990i go down well? Perhaps yes, but not as well as its predecessors.

It is certainly one of the best-in-class devices but there is a much broader range of competing devices lined up behind the P990i today. Potential purchasers may want to consider other Symbian phones starting with Nokia E61 and E70, Motorola's Q, or the Windows Mobile-powered I-Mate, O2 etc. In this light, priced at Rs 33,000, the P990i does not quite resemble an alluring star.

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Sony Ericsson P990i
Price:Rs 33,000
Size:114 x 57 x 25 mm