'Bond'of the CyberShots?

Lately, Sony Ericsson phones have been the weapon of choice in the Bond movies. In 'Casino Royale' it was the SE K800i that Daniel Craig flaunted. And in his next outing 'Quantum of Solace', it will be the SE C902. There is a special edition 'James Bond' C902, only available in Titanium Silver and with loads of pre-loaded wallpapers and sounds.

The front is as usual glossy (including the keypad), but the back sports a matte finish. To maintain the elegant looks of this glossy device, you'll have to constantly wipe off the fingerprints or smudges from its surface.

The phone sports an innovative slide up lens cover for the camera. Just hold the phone along the sides and push the cover up to activate the camera. This also activates the 8 touch-sensitive camera shortcut keys which light up in blue and are also pretty responsive. Though, strangely the camera of this Cybershot is a major let down. The quality of the camera won't be able to match the quality of some of its counterparts (like the Nokia N82, Nokia N95, Sony's own K850i, Samsung Soul U900 or the Samsung G800). All the shots turned out with excessive jaggies and were lacking clarity, quality and color depth-calling it the worst Cybershot won't be harsh.

Other than the camera I also have a few complaints with the overall design. For one, the camera key is awkwardly placed just above the volume control keys; this makes the usage of camera a hassle. Secondly, the angled keys on the keypad makes them so hard that typing an SMS becomes a pain. The selection and dialing keys are much better though and provide excellent tactile feedback.

The sound output of the phone is simply amazing. In terms of music playback as well as voice calls, the sound output is loud and crystal clear. The display is also bright and vivid and does not fade under direct sunlight. The phone comes loaded with apps such as Bluetooth remote control, sound recorder and GPS services (however, for accessing them you have to use an external GPS module). The battery lasted just about a full day on a complete charge with average usage.

Sony Ericsson C902 Price on Request	Performance Coolness
Pros Innovative design, slim profile, display Cons Camera, flat keypad Sold by Sony Ericsson India Tel: 1800 11 1800	Specs Quad Band, 108 mm x 49 mm x 10.5 mm,107g, 2.“ display (240 x 320), 160 MB + Memory stick Micro M2 slot, EDGE, 3G, Bluetooth with A2DP, 5 MP AF camera, image stabilizer, LED flash, FM Radio, 930 mAh battery Verdict

Sony Ericsson's new rotating and single icon layout is like a breath of fresh air on the main user interface. But the device on a whole is a letdown. Rather than designing this lackluster phone for the Bond, it would have been better if Bond was handed a Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. It could have been a perfect match for Bond's persona.