Sanyo S750 review

3 February 2005 13:07 GMT / By Stephen Patrick

We’ve come to believe that your choice of mobile phone says more about what you are than who you are. But one thing is clear; we all like to think we’re ahead of the technology curve. Sanyo may be a late entrant into the UK mobile phone market - this is the first device the company has launched here - but with regards to the technology curve, it’s managed to include everything the mobile phone user could want.

The design of the handset follows clear fashion lines, split design allows for the numberpad to be slid in and out depending on when you need to use it. When closed, it’s the 2.4-inch screen that dominates the handset. Weighing 122g, it’s a little heavy for the average phone.

What lets the actual look of the S750 down is its size, which is bulky and a little awkward - almost as if they couldn’t quite work out how to shave those last few grams off. You’re not going to carry this phone around in your trouser pocket- maybe your coat pocket at best.

In terms of technology, the S750 has everything the mobile user could currently want. The quad-band phone is 3G compatible, so you can use it to download video and music, as well as use 3G location and entertainment services. The Sanyo S750 is available in this country with an Orange contract, which currently offers a host of bolt on services. The combination of the large screen and video services proved a pleasure on the S750, something which cannot be said for other 3G phones on the market.

The 3G network isn’t has widespread as people think, with only the major cities currently getting anything approaching consistent bandwidth. Find yourself out in the countryside and you’ll find the phone drops back to GPRS services. When you are in the 3G area, speed is dependent on how many people are sharing the same service. That said, we managed to keep a healthy signal even in the busy business districts of both London and Manchester.

The user interface is simple and you can navigate around the system with as few clicks as necessary. What would a modern mobile phone be without a built-in camera? The now commonplace 1.3-megapixel CCD can be found in the S750 offering images up to 1280 x 960 pixels. With 8MB of internal memory, you won’t want to be taking too many snaps but with the addition of SD cards adding extra memory, you’ll be able to store your work and images in comfort. Bluetooth comes as standard.

Verdict

The Sanyo S750 may not be the prettiest or most robust 3G phone on the market, but it handles well and is comfortable to use. While we couldn’t help feeling that the handset isn’t quite right, the services are good and the use of the larger than average screen means that content is watchable. The question, whether you actually want to carry something bricklike around with you - well do you?

Score

Review Recap

Made by: Sanyo
Price as reviewed: £price dependent on contract
The good: Slider pad, big screen
The bad: Bulky, poor battery life
Quick verdict: While the design and technology tick all the right boxes, we’re left under whelmed by what the S750 has to offer
Score