The T68 may not be a smart phone, but Sony Ericsson made a lot of smart choices when designing this model, which looks conspicuously like a Nokia 8200-series phone with a color screen. Copycat or not, this is one small, sexy-looking mobile with nice features, including Bluetooth. The only question for U.S. customers is whether to wait for the forthcoming T68i.
Not a Nokia
As noted, the 2.9-ounce T68 bears an uncanny resemblance to the popular Nokia 8200-series phones--until you get a glimpse of the bright, easy-to-view, five-line, 256-color screen. The Sony Ericsson, like the Nokia, has tiny keys that may irk those with larger fingers, but the T68 has something the Nokia doesn't: a joysticklike navigational button, which we appreciated. However, it's a tad sensitive, so keep it away from other objects in your pockets.
Those not familiar with Sony Ericsson's menu system will find that it takes a little getting used to, particularly since this small phone is big on features. Along with Bluetooth and infrared connectivity, the T68 lets you add screensavers, backgrounds, 100x80-resolution GIFs, and 8 customized ring tones on top of the 14 standard tunes. Download Ericsson's free ExtndConnect software, and the T68 can synchronize with your Microsoft Outlook calendar info and up to 500 contacts via infrared or Bluetooth. If your computer doesn't have infrared or Bluetooth connectivity, you can purchase an optional serial cable for about $40.
And there's more
The T68, which works on all flavors of GSM and GPRS networks around the world, can be used as a wireless modem, and it supports both SMS and EMS (enhanced messaging service), though not MMS (multimedia messaging). Included with the phone are a number of icons and rudimentary graphics that can be sent to other EMS-enabled phones. We were also impressed with the T68's voice-recognition features, which allow you to dial contacts by saying the person's name as well as answer your phone and navigate menus using voice commands.
Strong battery life
With any color-screen phone, the first concern is battery life. We're happy to report that the T68 doesn't suffer in this department, but to conserve power, you'll want to make sure the phone goes into sleep mode whenever you're not using it. And if you want to be even more frugal with the juice, you can set the screen to display in black and white instead of color.
Just how much battery life did we get? Well, we managed to eke out 5.5 hours of talk time and almost 6 days of standby time. While Sony Ericsson says that you can do much better (13 hours of talk time, 12 days standby), the company's estimates are clearly inflated. Still, the real-world battery-life numbers are impressive, particularly when you consider the color screen. Another plus: The phone comes with a compact charger.
Sounds good, too
Call quality was quite good in our tests in New York and San Francisco. The mike, which sits on the bottom of the phone, is sensitive and picks up your voice even though the bottom of the phone rests high on your cheek. Callers said they had no problem hearing us and vice versa.
Presently, the T68, which comes in Ziroccan Gold or Lunar Gray, is available on a limited basis in the States, though it will work with any GSM SIM card. AT&T is currently offering it for $200 in select markets, but by summer, the U.S. version of the phone (the T68i) will be offered by GSM providers for $199 with new service.
That model has as an embedded e911 emergency locator, as well as upgraded software/interface that includes more backgrounds, screensavers, and storage capacity for customized images. Sony Ericsson says T68 buyers will be able to upgrade to the T68i's software once it hits the market, so if you don't care about the e911 feature and are happy with the T68's gold or gray finish, you might as well pick up this sharp cell phone as long as you don't overpay for it.
