Sony Ericsson Z550i

My very first clamshell phone (right). Bought it just two days ago to replace my aging SE-T610 candybar phone, an older family member of this new one. I got a pretty good deal trading in the SE-T610, which according to the warranty sticker will turn three this coming February, which makes me think, that's quite a long time since I last changed my cellphone.

This is my fourth cellphone so far, and below in chronological order, is what I've owned before this.

1. Nokia 3210
My first cellphone, used it during my undergraduate days.
Used it for almost 3 years before I traded it in because the battery was failing.
Damn those NiMH batteries.

2. Motorola T191
Small and compact, only managed to use it for 2 years before the battery started failing too.
NiMH again :P

3. Sony Ericsson T610

By far the most expensive phone I've ever paid for to date, but honestly this is a very good phone, feature-packed and almost considered state-of-the-art for its price range back then.
My first colour screen and camera-fitted phone.
Replaced because the mini-joystick and keypad was starting to malfunction, not a battery problem this time, thanks to the much better Li-Ion batteries.

Sidetracking a little here, having owned cellphones from different manufacturers namely Nokia, Motorola and Sony-Ericsson in my case, I would like to comment a little on the user-friendlyness of the GUI. I conclude that Nokia has the best GUI, followed closely by Sony-Ericsson. And I have to sadly say that Motorola's GUI is difficult if not frustrating to use, at least for the T191 model that I was using.

So, when I went shopping for a new phone, my first criteria was no more candybar phones, because if you've noticed, all my previous phones were in that form factor. So I decided to switch camps and be a clamshell owner instead.

My phone wishlist...
1. Spend no more than RM800 for the new phone, preferably with a trade-in
2. Speaker-phone function - ala the Apprentice
3. Decent camera - anything nowadays is better than the one the T610 has
4. Looks - not too flashy or fashionable; and has to be masculine to some extent :P
5. Ergonomic and responsive keypad - important for texting sprees and hehe gaming
6. Sufficient screen real-estate - clamshells can inherently house bigger screens due the fact that they are folded over, and a larger screen will not increase the overall device size tremendously
7. Memory card expansion - I'm sure it'll come in handy one day
8. Intuitive and user-friendly GUI

Alright.... I did the list after I got the phone :P . In that case, I guess that list would be what I like MOST about the phone.

After setting up the GPRS profile and personalizing the phone (and also some RMs poorer due to downloads :P) I can say that this phone is a real pleasure to use, mainly because it had those 8 points stated above. However, for those who require 3G, I will have to disappoint you in that this phone is not 3G-capable.

Ok, off to some actual pictures

My almost 3-year old SE-T610, I'm gonna miss it

Top view - SE-Z550i, closed flip

SE-Z550i, open flip

More info on the Sony Ericsson Z550i
Z550i Product Page from Sony Ericsson's official website
Z550i Review on mobile-review.com