SONY ERICSSON VIVAZ PREVIEW

Introduction:

So, how does taking and watching HD videos on a cell phone sound like? Pretty cool, right? Well, at the time of the this review, the only handset actually capable of that and available on the American market is the Samsung Instinct HD (the Samsung OMNIA HD i8910 for the rest of the world), but the competition and more precisely the Sony Ericsson Vivaz, the second handset of the communicational entertainment series of the manufacturer (Xperia X10 is the first) is preparing to land a crippling blow to Samsung´s undisputed market dominance.

Initially nicknamed as the Kurara by the rumors at the time, the Vivaz is a high-end smartphone utilizing Symbian S60 5th Edition OS (also known as the Symbian^1) that comes with the same personalized interface the software-updated Sony Ericsson Satio delivers. Alongside of the latter, however, the Sony Ericsson Vivaz is quite more compact, features 3.2-inch display, has lesser weight and relies on its multimedia functionality as well, not just its camera. Similarly to most cell phones of the same class, the Vivaz features Wi-Fi with DLNA, GPS, accelerometer and HSDPA, but also comes with 720MHz processor and OpenGL ES 2.0 support to sweeten the deal. What we have in our hands is a prototype and we are going to preview the unit, although we are truly eager to review a final, retail unit.

Design:

The outer appearance of the Vivaz remains true to the overall style introduced by the Xperia X10. The handset looks dainty and contemporary, while the motley, transparent sides give its design a youthful appeal. We do like the Vivaz and the combination of plastic that feels pleasing to touch, compact size and small weight that it is.

The 3.2-inch resistive TFT display comes with native resolution of 360x640 pixels and supports 16 million colors. Despite using just a prototype, we have to point out the image quality is great and the screen delivers beautiful, saturated colors, no matter it doesn’t integrate AMOLED technology.

The earphone and video call camera are above the screen, while the send and end keys, along with the button to access the main menu or call up the multitasking manager (when you keep the key pressed for a while) are located below. The cool-looking sides of the device host 3.5mm headphone jack, microUSB port, loudspeaker (on the left hand side), volume rocker and two camera shutters for image and video capture modes (on the right hand side). The latter is a novelty feature that we do like, because it saves you time browsing the mode switcher options - you can start up the camera directly into the operational mode you need right away.

The 8-megapixel camera lens and LED flash peek through the single opening on the plastic cover that takes up the entire back side of the handset. We will take a closer look at the snapshots and (the mandatory) HD video we captured with the handset later in this preview. Now, let´s teleport into the interface and take a short walk there.

Expectations:

Sony Ericsson Vivaz leaves us greatly impressed. With its compact size, truly appealing look and more than promising multimedia capabilities, it goes to show that rich, feature-packed modern functionality does not necessarily equate to giant body. Moreover, the Vivaz obviously has what it takes to challenge the market dominance of Samsung´s multimedia monster, the OMNIA HD i8910. We just cannot wait to get our hands on a final, retail unit and share our impressions with you. A major UK carrier has already announced it will embark on selling the Vivaz in March and we hope the handset is not delayed, so we can see it in action next month.