Sony Ericsson Z750 in Mirrored Pink

While it looks very much like the mirror finished Z610 that was announced a little over a year ago, the Sony Ericsson Z750 offers a number of improvements that make the device viable to far more people than the original. Take, for example, the Z750’s new quad-band GSM/EDGE and tri-band UMTS/HSDPA connectivity. This means the Z750 will work on just about any GSM or UMTS network on the planet, something the tri-band GSM and single-band UMTS Z610 couldn’t claim. There are other changes as well, like the new GPS functionality and integrated Google Maps.

The Z750 we tested for this review is a near-production prototype supplied to us by Sony Ericsson USA. As a prototype, minor problems that we experience in our review tests will quite likely be addressed and fixed before these phones ever make it to the retail consumer. We can’t say with 100% certainty that such issues will be fixed, but the phone itself was overall very stable and performed very nearly like a production handset, and Sony Ericsson has been made aware of any issues we came across.

Physical Aspects

While I have to admit that I wasn’t particularly thrilled to see that our Z750 test unit was pink, I can also admit that the look of the phone has grown on me over the past week or so. Considering that at 98mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9″ x 2.3″ x .8″) in size and weighing 111g (3.9oz), the Z750 isn’t what you would call small or thin, but it has some nice, simple lines and a distinctive look to it. The mirrored finish on the top half of the folder doesn’t show fingerprints nearly as much as I had feared it would, and I really love the way the small, hidden monochrome display just seems to float on the surface of the phone. The display provides all the information that one typically needs, such as caller ID info and signal and battery status, yet wastes very little power when used.

There are few features on the exterior of the phone apart from the prominent camera. On the left edge of the phone are the volume and music keys. The volume keys perform normally when pressed for a short duration, but also function as previous and next track controls when long-pressed. The dedicated music pause/play button is located nearby. The other edge of the phone is where the Sony M2 memory card slot is found. The loudspeaker is found on the back of the device, and the slightly curved “ice scraper” antenna keeps the speaker from being blocked when the phone sits on a desk. A normal fast port power/data connector is located on the bottom of the device. The hinge, while spring loaded, is somewhat odd in that it will ensure that the phone snaps fully opened or closed, yet allows the phone to be positioned freely somewhere in the middle as well. This is good for improving readability while it sits upon a desk.

The Sony Ericsson Z750 is a bit more conventional looking once it has been opened. It has a reasonably large color display, and a very spacious keypad and control cluster. The display is of only average brightness, but it is exceptionally crisp and colorful. The pixels on it are so tightly spaced as to make it almost look like paper at times. The keypad has an outstanding layout and feel, the best I have come across in a while. The d-pad works well and offers good action, but has a nail file like feel to it that I found somewhat annoying. The twin chrome softkeys are a bit small but are very easy to find and use. The call buttons are clones of the softkeys, and sit above dedicated web, clear, and shortcut menu buttons. Beneath the keypad sits the power key. It is interesting to note that Sony Ericsson seems to have abandoned its normal control cluster layout and no longer offers a dedicated back key, while using conventional red and green call buttons.

My only real complaints regarding the Z750’s physical design are fairly minor. The backlighting on the keypad is somewhat uneven, though the d-pad and controls are well-lit. And while the body pieces of the Z750 seem to fit together with fairly tight tolerances, the device as a whole feels a bit hollow and a tad less sturdy than some other high-end clamshells on the market. But overall, it’s a nice package. (www.mobileburn.com)