I Love My Cell Phone, I Do

Approximately two years ago for Mother's Day, my husband purchased the Motorola RAZR in the hot new pink color that was the craze at that time. Although the trend continues, I had grown tired of the phone and color and I could not have been more excited when I realized it was time to upgrade.

It literally took almost one month to decide what type of phone I wanted to purchase. I am so bad at making decisions sometimes. My cell phone provider, AT&T (formerly Cingular) allows upgrades once every two years. That does not mean that I cannot change my phone during the year, however I would have to pay a lot of extra unnecessary money.

I compared all phones known to man that AT&T sold. I read every description, looked up reviews, browsed online and in the stores as well. Nothing seemed to fit what I was looking for: a sleek, classy, trendy, pretty, flip phone - capable of taking pictures and easy to use while text messaging (which I do a lot of). I really did not care much about memory, battery, etc. I normally use cell phones for the more simple uses rather than what let's say, a business person would use them for.

On probably my 10,000th hit on the AT&T website I saw that they had a new phone up, with no reviews. This phone was the Sony Ericsson Z750a. This phone would be my new toy!

Since there were no reviews on the AT&T website, I began to Google the phone to see if in fact there were ANY reviews available. I found a few but none on personal experience because the phone was so new. What originally drew me to the phone was that it had the almost mirror look much like the LG Shine phones which I thought of buying as well. The funny thing too is that one out of the three colors available was pink! I actually started to consider another pink phone!

I had never owned a Sony Ericsson phone before and actually thought (because of how most of them looked) that they were just mainly music type MP3 player phones. This phone however by just the image denounces all preconceived notions I had.

I ordered it directly from the AT&T website which was offering a $100.00 mail-in-rebate. The price I paid in total was $149.99 (before the rebate, which I have not received yet). Although AT&T said I was receiving the phone via two-day priority shipping, I did not receive it in fact for almost four days. At the time I purchased the phone it was not even sold in the AT&T stores however now it is.

In The Box

-Phone
-Battery
-SIM Card
-Charger
-Manual
-Earphones

(Upon getting the phone I had to insert the SIM card and the battery. Although there was a little charge to the phone I ultimately had to charge for about a little less than an hour for it to receive the full charge to be able to use it.)

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(The following information is directly from the AT&T website)

Features

-2 Megapixel camera
-Video recording and playback
-Stereo Bluetooth 2.0 technology
-XM(TM) Radio and Music ID capabilities
-AT&T music folder listen to MP3's or streaming radio
-Cellular video for news, sports, and more
-Multimedia messaging - Send texts, photos, and sounds
-High speed 3G technology for faster data access
-Mobile email - Yahoo, AOL, and MSN
-Download ringtones, games, and graphics
-Memory Stick MicroTM expandable memory slot
-USB mass storage - file transfer between your PC
-Mirror exterior with shine through hidden display
-Preloaded games and applications
-Photo Fix, PhotoDJ(TM) and VideoDJ(TM)
-Bluetooth remote control
-Quad-band world phone
-Hearing aid compatible
-MEdiaNet web browser
-Speakerphone

Specifications

Available Colors: Gray, Purple, Pink
Weight: 3.9 ounces
Dimensions: 3.8 x 1.9 x .8 inches
Talk Time: Up to 9 hours
Standby Time: Up to 16 days
2 MP camera with video recording
Music Formats: MP3, AAC, AAC , eAAC , and WMA
Expandable Memory: Memory StickTM Micro support
Bluetooth 2.0 Wireless Stereo Technology
Screen: External OLED, Internal 2.2" QVGA 262k Color TFT
Network Technology: GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA
Quad-band world phone: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900/2100

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(The phone as described by features that I have used)

Outside

The color of the phone I purchased is gray. I did not like the purple color at all, and I was worried if I chose pink again that after a short time I would be tired of it. The gray seemed classy and simple, and after all it would match everything!

The feel of the front of the phone is smooth. It does have a mirror finish however I would not say it is as shiny as the LG Shine. Many have mentioned it feels kind of cheap but if you tap on it you will see it feels pretty sturdy. You can see your reflection in it though. If you turn the phone horizontally you will see on the top left side the word at&t with their icon (the ball with lines going across it). On the bottom right side is the words Sony Ericsson. Directly above the words is the camera lens.

One really neat thing about this phone (another reason why I chose it) is the display on the front of the phone. You need to turn the phone horizontally to see it. When you close the phone or the press the button on the side to view the display it shows up almost like it is floating on the front cover. You see how many bars you have, the time, and your battery meter. Now get this!! When you receive a text message, phone call, voice mail, or any other notification for that matter (including when a set alarm goes off) you will see it scrolling across the display like a marquee. It is really the neatest thing and the display by far is the most unique one I have seen on a phone yet.

On the left side of the phone are the volume controls and the music playback button. Pressing either one of these 3 buttons will have your display light up when the phone is closed. On the right side of the phone is what I believe to be a port if you want to connect the memory stick as mentioned in the specifications. I have not used that nor will I probably ever use it.

The other side of the phone contains the speaker for the speaker phone (while holding vertically it is located on the upper left side) and the cover for the battery and SIM card. Also if you turn the phone you see the words Sony Ericsson again. You will also see a little green orb which I believe has something to do with the phone charging mechanism. The top part of the back of the phone comes up a little higher than the front which gives the phone a unique look. I was a little dissappointed I could not buy a cell phone charm for this phone as there are no holes to put it in.

It is hard to get the battery case off. You really have to dig your fingernail into the little slot and then it pops off. The battery case cover feels very cheap and light so be careful not to break it. To put it back on you have to align it flat and just slide up easily or you will have to try again.

Overall, the outside of the phone seems durable. The one problem I see is that it is slippery compared to other phones I have owned. I do not have a case for it yet and have already dropped it on my hardwood floor, and outside in the street more than two times. Although the phone itself has not been affected, I do have some tiny chips on the corners of the front of the phone. They are not that noticeable, although I know they are there. The mirror type display does not get fingerprints like other phones I have seen even though it has that type of display which is good.

On the bottom of the back case is where the charger goes. The charger itself looks a lot different than the basic small ones I am use it. One major complaint (and I agree) is that the phone battery is horrible. It does not last long at all, especially if you are texting or using any media applications. Most people say the battery life only lasts about 2 days and I feel that mine does not even last a day. Although it is a major inconvenience, if you have access to be able to charge your phone either in the car or somewhere else I would recommend bringing along the charger just in case.

Inside

The display inside is very bright and the screen is big. Before using this phone I was using my husband's old Blackberry Pearl for the time being (because I was so tired of my RAZR) and wow what a difference in screen size. The size is great for reading text messages and seeing pictures. You do not feel like you have to squint your eyes in order to see anything.

You see the available signal bars, the battery meter, the word AT&T, time time, the date, and on the bottom it says: Calls, MEdia Net, and Menu. The light does not stay on for long and you have to press any key to bring it back up. I have not learned yet if there is any way to keep the back light on for a longer period. It does get annoying when you are trying to write a text or dial a number. If you do not do it fast enough the light goes off.

The bottom with the buttons is very nice and spread out as well. Nothing is too close together and the keys, although they are flat have lines in between to separate them. After getting use to this you should be able to text or dial the numbers without having to look at the keys.

The top right and left buttons just have a line (-) and they open the menus. In between is your "ok" button or button to connect automatically to the MEdia Net. When using it within the menus it allows you to press to make your selection. One press of it however when at the main display on the phone takes you to the MEdia Net. A little inconvenient especially if you press it by accident and are connected for a longer period of time (charges will apply). It is also bad for kids if you do not want them to connect to the internet and I am not sure of a way to disable that button as of yet. Around that "ok" button is the navigational buttons I would call them. They allow you to move up and down or left to right in menus. They are also shortcut keys which I believe you can change. The default ones are: (up) Write a new text or voice message (down) address book (left) all files on the phone (right) Yahoo Messenger.

Below each of those on the left (is the green phone button to make calls) and on the right (the red phone button to end calls). You then have a button for the camera (which is a great option to just be able to press one button and have the camera functions come up), in the middle you have the button (C) which from what I know is the delete button for when you are typing texts, dialing numbers, etc. and then the last button when pressed brings up what applications are running, any new calls or messages, shortcuts, and MEdia Net information.

Another really great feature is the fact that this phone has an On/Off button for the phone located on the bottom right corner of the inside of the phone. With my other phones I would always forget what key to hold down to either turn on or turn off my phone. This key is a no-brainer and is especially convenient when you are somewhere that does not allow phones to just automatically and hassle-free turn your phone off immediately as needed.

At this point while the phone is open you can change your ring volume. There are actually 8 you can choose from which gives you a lot of variety. As you change it the line lights up to show what you have the sound set on. I normally keep it at the 5th one which works well for me. If you bring it all the way down your phone will then become silent. After choosing how loud or soft you want it to be you will click the "ok" button to save.


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Menus

On the main display pressing the upper right button will bring you to all available menus.

AT&T Music

This menu contains your Media player. This will bring up all media you currently have on your phone including pictures, videos, music, etc. You can also change the way you view everything by selecting Settings and you can view it vertically or horizontally. This only changes the settings within this Media player folder and not for the entire phone. You can also shop for music, listen to XM Radio, and watch music videos. Most of the items on this menu require going on the MEdia Net so I would be careful with what you are pressing because you will incur charges.

Messaging

This menu is all about messaging. Text messaging, voice messaging, email, voicemail, and Yahoo messenger. When you choose "Write New" you can either write a new text message or send a voice message which is neat to do. It will record your message and then you can send to someone like you would a text message. The text message box is big and if you use over the character limit once you send it will automatically tell you how many pages of a text you are in fact sending. You can add symbols to your text and even change the font size and color. You can also add attachments to your message such as pictures or videos. Once you add any multimedia it will tell you that you are now sending an MMS (multimedia message service) rather than a plain old text.

Recent Calls

This menu has four different menus within it. One shows you all calls you have made, received, or missed. Tab over and now it is just all the answered calls, tab over again and it is all the dialed calls, tab over once more and it is all the missed calls. This is convenient because basically it sums it up in one menu and then breaks it down in 3 others. You delete the calls in that manner as well. If you want to delete all the calls do so in the options menu where it shows all the calls. If you just want to delete one category of calls do so in that specific menu.

MEdia Net

Clicking on this globe will automatically take you to the MEdia Net. The only time I go on this is when I have purchased a ring tone via the online website. I receive the ring tone as a message and have to download it from the MEdia Net. You can also view news, sports, entertainment information, weather, etc. on the MEdia Net but because it is an additional charge I only pay per use.

AT&T Mall

This breaks down what items you would like to shop for before actually taking you to the MEdia Net. You can click for ring tones, games, graphics, multimedia, applications, video, or just visit the MEdia Net homepage.

Cellular Video

This takes you to the MEdia Net automatically from which I believe you can watch music videos. I have not used this option.

My Stuff

Shows you basically everything you have on your phone. Your camera album, music, pictures, themes (you have purchased), saved web pages or bookmarks, games, applications (such as Mobile email or banking), and other (which includes instant messages).

Address Book

Where you stored numbers are. Editing each individual gives you different categories. You can add a picture or graphic to come up when you call or they call (or message), you can add different numbers and attach icons to signify which it is (home, mobile, work, etc.), add email or web address, assign a ring tone that plays specifically when they call, enter work information and also enter any misc. information as well as their birthday.

I especially love being able to assign a picture and/or ring tone to a specific person. I was not able to do this on any of my other phones before.

Entertainment

This includes not only games (preloaded trials are JewelQuest, Midnight Pool, Pro Golf, Tetris and Wheel of Fortune)but you also have access to the Media Player from here and the FM Radio which can be used once you attach the ear buds.

You also have the Video, Photo, and Music DJ's which assist in creating slide shows for these items. It is a lot of fun and I have just started to experiment. You can add music and give your slide show a personal touch and then send it via MMS messaging.

Camera/Video Recorder

Aside from getting to this menu straight from the Camera button on the phone you can access through the Menu option. You can take pictures and videos here. The pictures are just ok when you view them on the phone however I noticed that when I emailed them to myself they look so much better on a computer. I have yet to figure out the zoom button (whenever I try to use it I receive a message saying I can't in the mode I am in) and you can take a self portrait but you will not see yourself in the camera lens you will only see yourself in the mirrored image of the display.

Some neat options however are:

Shoot Mode

Panorama allows you to take 3 separate pictures and puts them together in a row.

Frames gives you pictures, for example a football player, a picture frame, an astronaut, that you can align the image you are taking a picture of and put it the face in that frame. It is something cute to do with kids.

Burst takes 4 pictures and this is good with action shots. The person or image you are taking a picture of will come out in four separate pictures and you can see the progression of movement.

Night Mode

Allows you to choose this option for taking pictures in the dark. It seems to brighten the picture up.

Picture Size

You can change the size of the picture from 2 MP to 1 MP or VGA. I believe this will change the Mega pixel of the picture and also change the quality of it though as well.

Self Timer

You can change this option Off and On to time the picture so you can be ready to have a picture taken of perhaps yourself.

White Balance

This adjusts the balance of color for certain conditions such as a cloudy day, or what type of lighting is in the room at the time of the picture.

Effects

Allows you take pictures in Black and White which is a really nice option. Black and White pictures look vintage and give a different appeal than a normal picture in color. You can also take pictures as a negative or sepia which is like an antique color you see in old pictures.

You can also change the sound your phone makes when it takes a picture and also within each photo you can auto correct it.

The videos have the same options and you can also change the length of video allowed to either normal or one that will be able to fit within a Multimedia message to send to others.

Organizer

In the organizer you can set 5 different alarms. You can choose what days you need them to sound and you can also turn each individual alarm off and on. You can choose to have the alarm sound even if the phone is on silent which is a good option that my other phone did not have. I would worry whether or not the alarm would go off if my phone was on silent because sometimes you just do not want your phone to ring if you are resting.

You have your basic calendar option, and a task and note menu. There is a timer and stopwatch available, 2 options I have never had on any phone before which is another convenience as well. Also included is a calculator and a password saver which is for safe storage of personal information. This information is locked by a pin you choose yourself.

Settings

This menu contains options for all settings you can imagine for your phone. Each is broken up into separate categories.

General

This is where you can change basic settings such as the time and date. You can also change the Shortcuts that your navigational dial on the phone contains. Under Phone Status you will see all information regarding your phone and available memory. There is also a Master Reset option which will restore everything on your phone to the factory settings.

Sounds & Alerts

Change ring tones, ring volume here. You can put your phone on silent or vibrating alert and change your alert tone for when you receive a message or change your key sound. I would recommend keeping the key sound silent because choosing another option will have a sound play every time you press a key which gets very annoying very fast.

Display

You change your themes, screen savers, wallpaper, clock size, and brightness here. The default themes that come with the phone are Aerial and Floral. Pretty boring if you ask me, the Floral is pretty though if you are a girl. I downloaded new themes and this is where you find them once you do that.

Calls

You can enter a number for speed dial here, forward calls, choose who you will or will not accept calls from (have to set this one up soon, sounds great). You can also set up call or data timers or counters which will show how long you were on a call and how many messages you have sent or received. This is helpful if you do not have an unlimited plan.

Connectivity

Provides options for any type of phone function that requires data connection.

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So far I have had my phone for just about a month. I am very happy with the style of it aside from it being what I consider a little slippery. I recommend getting a carrying case, which is something I should have done already. It seems sturdy because after all I have dropped it about three times already and aside from the minor scratches on the corners of the phone it seemed to have held up well.

The display inside is large and bright and easy to read. I would like the light to stay on a little longer because at times I feel I am racing the light to read or write something. The outside display is too very unique and one of my favorite features. I like how when someone calls I can see their name on the outside before choosing to answer.

The numbers are big and I like that better than the keyboard that so many other phones have. I am an avid texter and this gives me the ability to do so without making errors on the words.

The speaker phone works very well, probably better than other phones I have owned. You are able to close the phone when you use it and you can hear the other person without static.

There are a lot of menus and features that could take a while to learn but it seems the capabilities of this phone are endless. There are a lot of features that allow you to really personalize this phone and make it your own.

The worst thing about the phone is like I said earlier, the battery life. I always make sure it is charged before I go out and am going to invest in a car charger just in case. If you can learn to deal with that flaw, this phone is incredible otherwise!