The Sony Ericsson Vivaz is all about enjoying, creating, and sharing media. Unlike the company’s other upcoming heavyweight smartphone, the Xperia X10, however, the Vivaz relies on a Symbian Series 60 OS and not Android.
This might disappoint many, but the Vivaz is first and foremost a media phone, and designed as the successor to Sony Ericsson’s successful Satio model.
It is not as well rounded as the Xperia X10, but makes up for any performance deficiencies with its talented 8.1 MP camera, and of course 720p HD recording. Plus, with the smartphone’s sleek and compact form factor, sporting dimensions of 107.0 x 52.0 x 12.5 mm, it manages to give fully-fledged pocket camcorders, not just rival smartphones, a run for their money.
Ultra slim and compact
The most noticeable characteristic of the Vivaz is its compact and slim body, which weighs a mere 97 gr. Despite its small size, however, the Vivaz still sports a fully capable camera, as well as a 3.2 inch touch screen. The touch screen has received some mixed reviews for responsiveness, but where the Sony Ericsson smartphone really shines is with its photo and video taking abilities. You might think the phone’s 8.1 MP camera is a real step down from the Satio’s impressive 12MP one, but this would be neglecting the Vivaz’s incredible video recording talents.
Impressive video recording
The Vivaz’s 8.1 MP camera comes with nearly all the extras you would expect of a dedicated digital camera, including face detection, smile detection, autofocus, geotagging, image stabilisation, and, finally, its send to web function. In fact, the Vivaz can immediately upload both photos and videos online to services like YouTube or Facebook. The autofocus works for video too, and you can see for yourself how it looks in the video example (shot using the Vivaz) below. Of course, taking high resolution photos, not to mention 720 videos, gobbles up storage space, and the Vivaz’s included 75MB of storage is decidedly insufficient. Fortunately the memory is expandable via microSD card, and you will want to have plenty on hand, even though the Vivaz can also stream video without needing any storage space. USB, WiFi, DLNA, PictBridge, Google Maps, FM Radio, a music player, and many more features are all included in the smartphone as well.
UK plans and prices
The Vivaz is currently out in the UK and available with a plan from either Vodafone or 3. With Vodafone you can get the handset free, if you sign up for the 24 month plan at £30 per month that also includes 600 anytime monthly minutes, and unlimited inclusive texts. A similar arrangement is available at 3, though you get only 300 monthly minutes at £30 a month, and of course there are different variations of the above plans available at both providers. The Sony Ericsson Vivaz camera phone is available for a list price of £349.99 without a contract from a variety of retailers. Practically more of a camcorder with a phone, the Vivaz is perfect for anyone who loves shooting and uploading videos, and can overlook its Symbian OS.
source: news.idealo.co.uk
