The formula is so straightforward and so simple and it seems that Sony Ericsson had this in mind when they came up with the K618i.

Featuring a host of multimedia functions, useful business tools, Bluetooth and 3G technologies, the K618i promises to give an ideal mix of business and entertainment features that will appeal to a broad range of users.

K618i

Due to the success of its Walkman line, Sony Ericsson mobile phones are recognized for their excellent music capabilities. While it is not a Walkman phone, the K618i is no exception.

Capable of playing MP3 and AAC music files, the K618’s navigational pad doubles as playback control buttons for easy operation. Loaded with Mega Bass and a bunch of audio settings, it can easily replace your favorite portable music player. It has a strong loud speaker but as with most portable music players, it is usually better to listen via a headset.

One interesting feature is its support for Bluetooth stereo. This means that the K618i will be able to wirelessly stream high-quality stereo music to an A2DP Bluetooth headset and other compatible devices.

The K618i is also loaded with a now-standard 2 megapixel camera with 2.5x digital zoom. A dedicated camera button activates the camera and switches the viewfinder display to landscape mode. It does not have a flash so it will not perform well in poor lighting conditions.

Aside from the basic features normally found in camera-phones, the K618i is also capable of shooting in burst mode wherein a series of 4 VGA quality photos are automatically taken at rapid intervals. It also has a panorama function which allows three photos taken side by side to merge into one panoramic photo.

On top of these, the K618i does not have the normal lag which is common in most camera-equipped phones. After taking a shot, the waiting time before it is ready to shoot again is noticeably shorter than most camera-phones.

The K618i is also capable of taking average quality videos with sound. Being a 3G phone, it is equipped with a secondary VGA camera for video calls.

The K618i is a 3G device which functions in GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 and UMTS networks. It has an "always on" Internet connection with high-speed data transfer rates. This gives a fuller mobile Internet experience making it practical to access large files or use complex remote services no matter where you are.

In other words, it’s like having a portable DSL Internet connection.

The K618i has a built-in NetFront Web Browser which makes it possible to surf the web, send and retrieve emails, get up-to-the-minute news feeds via RSS, and download streaming videos and other data.

In spite of these capabilities, the relatively small 1.9-inch 252k color screen puts a damper on the mobile Internet experience. While it is still possible, the small size of the screen makes navigating around web pages a tedious process.

While it is not categorized as a smartphone, the K618i is equipped with several useful smartphone-like features such as alarm clock, calendar, notes, to-do list, and file manager. It can also be used as a portable hard disk to store other digital files like documents and office files. Just to be clear, the K618i can not read these types of files but it can store them.

With all its multimedia functions, the K618i only has a pitiful 16MB internal memory. Fortunately, it comes with a 256MB Memory Stick Micro (M2) which can hold around 60 to 70 regular MP3 music files.

As with most Sony Ericsson mobile phones, the K618i’s battery is capable of pumping out enough juice to power the phone for 3 to 4 days of normal usage.

To sum it all up, the Sony Ericsson K618i is a fine handset with all the high-end features without the high-end price tag. It looks like the less-appealing sibling of the more popular W810i but it is by no means ugly. Surprisingly light and easy to use, it really does not offer anything new to the market.

If you are on the lookout for a full-featured 3G phone that is fast, functional, and affordable, then the SE K618i worth considering.