Sony Ericsson Z200 Review

Good Points
The look of the phone is quite sexy -- the display, the colours and the analog clock on the front. This phone will get noticed.

Bad Points
The reception on the phone is generally poor -- particularly when the backlight on the display is illuminated. The load time for the phonebook is a bit long.

General Comments
I've tried the Sony Ericsson Z200 on two separate networks: Fido (Ottawa, Canada) and MTCTouch (Beirut, Lebanon). In Beirut, the reception is good. But, in Beirut, the reception is good in *elevators*. In Ottawa, there is a buzzing sound when the backlight is on. And even when the backlight is off, it is not uncommon for the reception to become choppy. Why can't they make a sexy phone with good reception? (note: both networks are GSM)



There are other minor usability issues. The phonebook takes a little bit long to load, so searching for a number takes a while. Most of the numbers I call are on speed-dial so this isn't that irritating.



The one thing I find a little bit weird is the analog clock. There are two displays for the front analog clock, and digital clock. The digital clock view also includes other information. You can switch between the two with two keys on the exterior of the phone. Switching between the two also illuminates the front backlight. However, there is no way to illuminate the front backlight without switching views. So, if you want to show off the analog clock, you have a bit of a problem. Leave it as a digital view, and then switch to analog to illuminate it. Or leave it as analog, and do a double-switch. Kind of silly.



Also, it's not possible to switch views when you have a missed call. I'm not sure why this is, it just is.



The phone is also a bit big.



You can only store one colour image on the phone to set as the background wallpaper. So, you have to transfer the image, test it, delete it, transfer another image, etc.... until you find an image you like.