Contents of delivery
• Sony Ericsson C510 phone
• Charger
• Battery
• Wired stereo headset
• CD with software
• USB cable
• User's manual
Appearance
The device looks and feels very nice. The design can be called traditional without any frills. The body of the device is made in the form of a regular rectangle, its thickness is 12.5 millimeters, which is quite good. The phone weighs only 92 grams. Thanks to these characteristics, the mobile device is easy to carry both in the pocket of jeans and a shirt. The device fits comfortably in the hand without slipping out. The use of matte plastic is also a good solution because it is scratch-resistant and does not collect fingerprints. The same goes for the metal camera shutter, which occupies about 1/3 of the rear panel. However, scratching it is not so difficult.
At the moment, the phone is available in two colors: Radiation Silver (silver body with 2 black stripes on the sides) and Future Black (black body). As for the coating near the screen, it is very easily soiled, but it is resistant to scratches.
In principle, there are no complaints about the build quality. The only note about the back cover: over time, it can give a little backlash. Note that this is a problem with many mobile devices. By the way, the cover can be removed by pulling on itself, which does not require unnecessary efforts. There is a SIM card slot under the battery. We did not notice anything fundamentally new here.
The earpiece speaker has good speech clarity and a good volume margin. The main speaker responsible for playing music did not cause any complaints: at the highest volume it does not wheeze. Its only drawback is the lack of low frequencies.
Keyboard and controls
At first glance, the keyboard is standard, so it seems that it will be convenient to use. But this is only at first glance. In fact, the numeric buttons are too narrow and long, due to which it is inconvenient to press them with the pad of your finger (perhaps with your fingernail). The inconvenience manifests itself to a greater extent when typing SMS-messages. In addition, it takes some effort to press buttons on the keyboard. The developer tried to protect users from accidentally pressing the vertical rows of keys by spaced separators, and also arranged the horizontal rows with "teeth". In any case, we did not notice a noticeable positive effect.
As we have already said, the buttons are narrow, so it is logical that the inscriptions to them do not have sufficient size for a comfortable perception. To some extent, the situation with the designations is corrected by a bright greenish backlight, but still for people with poor vision, the Sony Ericsson buttonsC510 will definitely not like it. Finishing the conversation about the keyboard, let's add that its buttons are made of plastic to match the color of the case.
From the control keys, it is worth highlighting the 4-position key with the "OK" button inscribed in the center. It is very convenient to work with her, and this is of course a plus. Call and end buttons seem to bump into the soft keys. It will take some time to get used to this arrangement. Be that as it may, adaptation comes quickly.
Below the soft keys are the "My Links" and "C" cancel buttons. For users of Samsung or Nokia phones, this arrangement of the control keys may seem unusual. At first, the fingers will instinctively press the "C" key. her location contributes to this in every possible way. Subjectively, the call accept / reject buttons on the sides of the soft keys are a less convenient solution than their location under the soft keys.
The user can program the navigation key for quick access to certain functions of the telephone. You can change the settings in "Options" - "General" - "Links".
The device is traditionally locked for Sony Ericsson, by successive pressing "*" and the right soft-key. Unlocking is carried out in the same way.
On the right side there is a swing button, which is responsible for adjusting the volume and zoom (in shooting mode). Under it is the camera activation button, which also functions as a shutter release. Their location can be called successful.
Battery
The phone uses a BST-38 lithium polymer battery with a capacity of 930 mAh. According to the manufacturer, the battery lasts up to 400 hours in standby mode and up to 10 hours of talk time. This is about GSM networks. For the UMTS standard, the indicators are as follows: up to 350 hours in standby mode and up to 4 hours in talk time. The maximum available video call duration is 2.3 hours. The battery is charged in about two and a half hours.
The phone worked for us for about 2.5 days with such a load: 20 minutes of calls a day, occasional listening to music, playing games and working with the camera (a total of 1-1.5 hours). At the same time, the Bluetooth module was in an active state all the time. The battery life can be extended up to 3 days if Bluetooth is turned off.
Display
The Sony Ericsson C510 has a TFT display with a resolution of 240x320 pixels and a diagonal of 2.2 inches. The grain is visible, but the viewing angles are not bad, plus the color rendition is normal. The brightness can be adjusted (5 levels). In general, we liked the screen in this model.
You can design the interface using screensavers, backgrounds, greetings. In this regard, everything is standard. There are six preset themes: Cyber-Shot, Morning glisten, Clarity, Dusk setting, Track Flow, and Ray. There is also the now fashionable function of automatic display rotation (change of horizontal and vertical orientation). It works stably.
Camera
Many manufacturers do not bother too much about making a camera lens protection. As a result, more advanced models do not represent photographic value after a certain period of time. the unprotected lens is scratched and dirty. Traditionally, Sony Ericsson has no problem with this. The C510 has a large security shutter. It, in turn, fits snugly and does not play.
You can turn on the camera through the main menu or from standby mode, but then the phone will ask you to open the lens first. By the way, there is a xenon flash near the lens. The viewfinder fills the entire screen. The interface is horizontal oriented.
On the right are the "Options" and "Back" commands, go to the "Pictures" folder, change the photo and video modes, and on the left - the icons of the current settings.
If we talk about the settings, then everything here is standard for Cyber-shot models. The user can adjust the following options:
• Shooting mode: standard, panorama, frames, Smile Shutter, series;
• Choice of conditions: portrait, landscape, landscape at dusk, document, sports, document, snow, automatically;
• Focus selection: face detection, infinity, macro, automatic;
• Image size: 0.3; 1; 2; 3 megapixels;
• Disable flash (it cannot be used as a flashlight);
• Automatic timer;
• White balance: clear, cloudy, incandescent, fluorescent, automatic;
• Effects: negative, sepia, black and white photo, overexposure;
• Picture quality: normal or high;
In addition, you can turn off the shutter sound or choose one of three preset options. Also, the user can set the storage location for photos and turn off the function of automatic image rotation (changing the portrait and landscape screen orientation). It is worth noting an interesting feature called GeoTagging: thanks to this item, you can add the name of the place where it was taken to the photo.
We figured out the settings. Now it's time to talk about their effectiveness. In panorama mode, 3 pictures are taken. The quality of this function is traditionally good.For entertainment, there are 16 preset frames. But with the "series" mode, not everything is so smooth. The fact is that this mode is available only for 0.3 megapixel images. The camera is not particularly happy with its resolution, but there is still such a limitation. In general, the "series" mode is implemented here rather for show, since there is no real benefit from it.
SmileShutter mode automatically shoots when you smile. After selecting this mode, press the shutter button - focusing takes place, and when a smile appears on a person's face, the phone automatically takes a picture. The implementation of this option is rather controversial. On the one hand, everything seems to be happening as planned, but on the other hand, there are times when a person did not even think to smile, but the picture was taken. It also happens the other way around: the subject in the frame is simply bursting with its smile, and for some reason the camera does not dare to take a picture.
One of the obvious shortcomings of the camera is the lack of a night mode. Although it is a phone, its photographic capabilities are on display, so it should have a night mode. You can, of course, shoot in evening conditions, but there is also one catch here: the flash cannot be turned on forcibly, the phone decides when it is necessary (and sometimes makes mistakes). Other modes (sports, document, etc.) are also of little use. The macro function works great. For example, the text is clear and quite readable. Macro function is not as effective in auto mode.
A disappointment is the digital zoom, which works at 0.3 megapixels. Why is he needed then, the question is rhetorical.
The quality of the images obtained is at a high level in comparison with analogs. Against the background of mobile devices with more serious cameras, this model does not shine. To achieve good results, you will have to dig into the settings. Plus, you shouldn't trust all the automation, it's better to experiment with the modes yourself.
The camera can also shoot videos. Their duration can be limited - 18 seconds for MMS. In addition, you can turn off sound recording and backlighting. When shooting video, there is a night mode - rather strange, because it is not provided for photos. The same question applies to the flashlight.
The quality of the video was pleasantly surprised. There is some noise, but there are no brakes that are observed in most devices of the same price category.
The Sony Ericsson C510 also has an additional camera. Its resolution is 0.3 megapixels. It is designed to make video calls and does not take any part in photography.
With the help of the Snapfish online service, the user can send images to print directly from the phone, after which the printed images will be delivered to your home (if you live within the range of the service). True, it is better to familiarize yourself with the prices first, otherwise you may get an unpleasant surprise.
Below are some photos taken with the Sony Ericsson C510:
Menu
The menu is exactly the same as in the Sony Ericsson C905. The only difference is that the developer changed the item "Location" to "Alarms". There are three ways to display the menu: a horizontal ring or 1 icon in the center with a panel of others on the right, or a standard 3x4 grid. Sub-menu items are made in the form of lists. For greater convenience, the menu-bookmarks are implemented ("File manager", "Options").
As already mentioned, quick access to functions can be assigned to the four sides of the navigation key. From the "My Links" menu, you can easily launch applications, switch between them. The right soft key is responsible for going one step higher. The transition to the standby mode is carried out by the reset button.
Phonebook
The directory is designed for 1000 contacts, for which you can enter as many as 7000 numbers. In addition, a SIM card can hold 250 more entries.The item "My state" contains all kinds of "gadgets": personal contact information, chat (requires an Internet connection), web sites. Also in this item you can set the name of the phone, which will be displayed, for example, during a Bluetooth connection.
Otherwise, everything is familiar: you can create groups, you can use both pre-installed and downloaded MP3 files as a ringtone. Moreover, you can use a voice recorder recording as a ringtone. In the function menu, you can view information about the memory status. There is a quick dial. It is designed for 9 rooms. The phone book can be transferred via Bluetooth.
Call and message management
The Calls menu contains 4 bookmark lists: received, outgoing, general, and missed calls. Each contact has an icon that shows where the contact is stored (on the card or in the phone's memory). Another icon shows the time and time and date of the call, as well as its status - outgoing, incoming, not received. For convenience, a timer is shown in the lower right corner of the screen during a conversation.
As for the messages, everything is pretty common here. The phone supports SMS, MMS and voice messages. The user can create templates for substitutions, however, there are no preset options.
The screen can accommodate a maximum of 7 lines of text at a time (approximately 15 characters each). T9 mode is switched on / off by pressing the "asterisk". With a short press - capital / small letters change.
File operations and communications
The phone has 100 megabytes of internal memory expandable up to 8 gigabytes using M2 cards. By the way, the slot is securely covered with a cover attached to the body of the device. Through the File Manager menu, the user can manage files and view the current state of memory. The implementation of the manager can be said to be standard: 3 menu-bookmarks (separately for the phone and memory card, and for all files together). The memory status is checked in the "Functions" submenu. All files can be copied, renamed, moved. For convenience, selection (selective or general) is available. The phone can be connected to a computer in four modes: "Transfer media", "Phone", "Transfer files", "Print". In the "Print" mode, the phone is defined as a mass storage device, and both the contents of the memory card and the phone itself are displayed on the screen. Note that you cannot use the phone when connected to a computer in this mode. In all other cases, the functions of the phone are not blocked. The cable connector is located on the left side edge of the device. He has no plug. Plugs insert securely and conveniently. Sony Ericsson C510 has WAP 2.0 and GPRS support. The installed NetFront browser works as standard, we did not notice any innovations. With SmartFit mode, the pages you view can fit into the display size. There is support for streaming video. Through the settings on the "Communication" tab, as well as in the "My Links" menu, you can go to Bluetooth. As for the interface, everything is familiar here: the visibility mode, the activation line, the list of paired devices, the energy-saving mode, and the “handsfree” mode. The device supports the A2DP profile. There were no problems with the Bluetooth module. Applications Almost all applications (with the exception of the alarm clock and voice recorder) are collected in the "Organizer" menu. The calendar is nicely designed, besides, all the symbols are large. You can set viewing by days, weeks, months. In addition, you can jump to old notes or enter new ones. There is a convenient search here. Alarm clocks are collected in a separate item in the main menu. It's hard to say how logical this placement is. As a rule, the user will use the alarm clocks through the quick menu. Why then occupy the icon in the main menu, we do not understand. In any case, it is not we who decide, but the manufacturer. There are five alarms in total.The user can set the response time, melody, signal volume, repeat and note in the form of a picture or text for each. The timer has the following format: hours-minutes-seconds. When the time expires, the keypad backlight flashes and a loud beep is played. With the help of a stopwatch, you can count up to 10 laps, then you need to clear the memory. The calculator is pretty simple. It can be used to perform four arithmetic operations, operations with percentages, negative numbers, and memory. It is possible to go directly from the calculator menu to the converter. For this, a special graphic button is displayed on the screen. Go ahead. The dictaphone was placed in "Entertainment". The maximum recording time is 1 hour. The resulting records can be set as an alarm or ringtone. The Applications menu contains: AccuWeather world weather report (it requires Internet access), PhotoMate photo application, a utility for accessing the YouTube portal (the manufacturer claims full compatibility with this service) and world clock. Music player On most Sony Ericsson phones, the music player is located under Entertainment in the main menu. We expected that this would be the case here too, but no matter how much we rummaged all over the phone, we did not find any application similar to the player. Only after going to the "Multimedia" menu and choosing the "Music" item, we got into the music library. Directly from the library there is a transition to the playback mode. Most likely, the pre-sale version of the device is to blame for everything, where the menu has not yet been fully worked out. We think that in commercial versions of the phone, the manufacturer is likely to "put" the player in the main menu. In addition, there must be other ways to activate it, for example, through the menu "My links" or through the arrows of the navigation key. Be that as it may, there should be quick access to the player, otherwise listening to music will turn into an inconvenience. The player interface does not appear to be significantly changed. The album cover is displayed in the center, to the right of it - the total number of songs in the playlist, the ordinal number of the selected track, the volume scale and an indication of the current action. A bar is displayed below, showing the remaining or elapsed playing time. Right below it is the name of the artist and the title of the song. At the very bottom, you can see the graphical controls. Use the vertical arrows of the navigation button to navigate the playlist, and use the horizontal arrows to rewind. The "OK" button is responsible for pause / play. Rewinding within the current song is progressive, i.e. the longer you hold down the button, the more the step is rewound. You can adjust the volume with a side swing button. There are 8 levels in total, but each level is traversed in two steps, so we will assume that the levels are 16. There is a good volume margin. The external speaker does not wheeze and produces a decent enough sound, but it cannot be called clean. But through headphones, the sound quality is much higher (even with a standard headset). If during music playback the headphones disconnect from the phone for one reason or another, the device will ask whether to continue playing through the external speaker. It would seem a trifle, but nice, because in many phones the playback continues without any questions. In the music library, you can sort tracks by albums, artists, playlists, genres. Directly from the player's menu, the user can send the selected audio file via e-mail or via Bluetooth. FM radio The application can be launched both from the main menu and using the quick function. The reception quality is quite normal. In urban environments, most radio stations are played back without interference. The search for radio stations is carried out in automatic mode or in manual mode. Search in automatic mode takes about 10-15 seconds.In manual mode, movement along the range is performed by pressing the horizontal arrows of the navigation key, while the step is 0.1 megahertz. Vertical arrows "navigation" allow you to switch between saved channels. The phone can memorize a maximum of 20 radio stations. There is support for RDS (broadcasting of text information via a radio channel). On the radio, this function is used to display the station name. The radio receiver, as well as the player, can work in the background. With an incoming call, the radio stops playing, and after the end of the conversation, it starts up again in automatic mode. The much-loved TrackID function (song identification service) is also supported in the phone. If you want to find out the artist of a particular song, then all you have to do is record an excerpt of it, and then upload it to the server using TrackID. As a result, the program will show you the artist, if there is one in the database. After identification, you can even download this song, though not for free. Games The Sony Ericsson C510 comes preinstalled with only three games: NitroStreet Racing, Sudoku Puzzle and BubbleTown - a game that is also tricky. Multitasking is supported, so games can be minimized. Entertainment applications include DJ applications: VideoDJ, MusicDJ, PhotoDJ. The headlines speak volumes about their purpose. Main competitors It is difficult to single out direct competitors in the arsenal of the Finnish manufacturer, since Nokia mainly relies on the production of multimedia models of the “all-in-one” type. One of those that come to mind is the Nokia 6500 Slide. It has a similar set of functions, plus it has a 3.2-megapixel camera, which allows you to take pictures of about the same quality as in the C510. True, the quality of video recording in the Sony Ericsson model is better. Nokia 6500 Slide has a stylish design, excellent build quality, is enclosed in a metal casing, and its display is capable of displaying up to 16.7 million shades (in the C510 the figure is 262144 shades). In addition, standard 3.5mm headphones can be connected to the 6500 Slide. The capacity of the competitors' batteries is almost identical, but the C510 has 70 megabytes more of its own memory. As for Samsung phones, the situation is simpler here. In terms of functionality, the SGH-L811 is the most suitable camera, it also has a 3.2-megapixel camera, but it is implemented rather for show. The Sony Ericsson C510 is much higher in terms of photo and video quality. The rechargeable battery of the Samsung model is slightly weaker - 880 mAh, while the battery capacity of the hero of our review is 930 mAh. Other parameters (display, polyphony, Bluetooth, here is parity). The SGH-L811 has the advantage of being able to view office documents via PixelViewer. Conclusion Some time ago the Sony Ericsson C510 could have been a great camera phone. But time does not stand still, and at the moment the camera of this phone no longer causes its former delight. Anyway, the phone has good functionality for its money, plus it has a practical and compact body. All this makes the C510 attractive to a wide range of users. Main advantages: • Compact body; • Good display; • Protective shutter of the camera lens; • Good quality video recording; • Not a bad functional set. Disadvantages: • Controversial keyboard ergonomics; • Markable coverage of the screen area; • Shortcomings in the organization of photography.
