For one, SE’s K750i  lays the groundwork for the forthcoming invasion of the 2 megapixel camphones in the market. Not that we’re saying you have to ditch your 1.3 mp handhelds which were en vogue last year. But with standard digicam features like autofocus, 4x digital zoom, red eye reduction and several photo modes now incorporated in your phone, who can resist?

            The Sony Ericsson K750i is what we can best call a petite phone, but it should not be underestimated for its size.   Weighing only 99 grams, it has vital stats of  100 x 46 x 20.5mm or just slightly wider than my old, trusty SE T610. With its oxidized black finish, it never failed to turn heads everywhere it went – leading me to conclude that it was definitely classy all the way.

            But  the excitement doesn’t end there, it only begins when you press the right buttons. On the rear left of the phone is the  music player button which can be launched by inserting the handsfree attachment. Facing it on the right is the +/- volume control which also doubles as a zoom when the camera is activated. There is also a slot for the Memory Stick Duo on the bottom left as well as the infrared port and the usual power on/off button on the upper section. The port for connecting the stereo headset is the same as the charger which we found out is not compatible with the connectors of the old SE phones.

Superior imaging is the best asset of the K750i as can be gleaned from the pictures I took while I carried it with me on this test drive. It helps that its menu interface is similar to those found in Sony CyberShot digital cameras. One of the neat features I found was the slide-on cover which protects the camera lens while closed and activates the phone’s imaging capabilities (including video) when opened. To use, hold the phone horizontally while clicking your left finger to zoom in or zoom out and pressing the shutter to your right. You can even take a self-portrait by looking at your reflection in the mirror next to the lens. There is a range of options for picture & video  size, effects, macro (for close-ups), white balance and picture quality. One can also choose from several shoot modes such as panorama, frames, and burst or four pictures in rapid succession. There is  a night mode and a powerful photo light for taking pictures in a dimly-lit environment. The pictures were so vivid on the 176x220 pixel 262K TFT screen  that you almost forget this phone can do a lot of other snazzy things besides.

            The built-in radio and media player of the K750i will keep you from being bored, whether you’re stationary or on the go. Sound quality is excellent and is boosted by the presence of a graphic equalizer which can be preset or manually-controlled. I had such fun listening to the tunes in this lean machine that I couldn’t dream of buying another flash-based portable music player if I can help it. The results were just about the same.

            Sony Ericsson certainly didn’t skimp on add-ons to make the K750i a compact wonder: personalization tools such as the  VideoDJ™ allows users to create their own animations, the PhotoDJ™ is a simple photo editor for enhancing shots, while  personalised ringtones and sound effects can be created with MusicDJ. Users can expect to store an extensive library of their photos and music  with  the K750i’s internal 32MB memory which can be expanded through the 64MB Memory Stick Duo supplied with the phone, or up to 2GB, as the case may be.

            As for the phone itself, I didn’t have any problem using the keypad which was reasonably spaced and provided a few setting shortcuts. My greatest irritant, the joystick, is still there but after two years of coping with it on another SE-branded phone, I  could not anymore complain.

            What else makes the K750i  tick? The fact that it’s triband; has the usual IR, Bluetooth and GPRS; Java games like Aero Mission, PuzzleSlider and Super Real Tennis; a USB 1.1 port; 40-tones polyphony; WAP 2.0; and an email client which supports IMAP and POP3. The 900 mAh capacity  Li-Ion battery that goes with the unit performed up to par with the promised nine hours of talktime. The power lasted approximately four days with me moderately using all the applications. 

On all counts, Sony Ericsson’s K750i is a highly-recommended phone. If you can’t as much as use it for texting and calling, at least take a load of the fun features that go with it. It is definitely one of the best mobiles to have this year if you want it slim yet packing a punch.