Sony Ericsson adds a splash of panache along with a host of powerful features to its Vivaz smartphone. For example, the three dedicated buttons running along the bottom of the large 3.2 inch screen are curved slightly, and designated green white and red, creating a soft, concave boarder that sets it apart esthetically from so many of the boxy smartphones on the market. The top of the phone is curved slightly downward to compliment the bottom, creating soft edges where striking angles are usually found.
The 3.2 inch, 360 x 640 display presents a crisp screen and a huge palate of well-rendered colors. This GSM candybar smartphone offers a touchscreen display, A-GPS (including turn-by-turn navigation capability), an impressive 8.1MP camera including LED flash and the ability to record video in true 720p HD (1280 x 720 pixel resolution), along with an MP3 player, FM radio, dedicated YouTube player and much more.
And yes, keeping up with its competitors, the Vivaz uses an accelerometer, allowing users to present text, photos and more in either landscape or portrait mode.
If you want a smartphone that can REALLY surf the web, the Vivaz is hardwired for the task. It is capable of rendering genuine web pages via HTML, Flash Lite, RSS, CSS and JavaScript. So have at it! It also offers built-in, online support for Facebook, Picasa, Twitter and the aforementioned YouTube.
But the Vivaz also offers Bluetooth 2.0, a 3.5mm jack (so you can pick from a huge selection of headsets), features expandable memory via microSD and microSDHC, and offers tethering capabilities, so you can take that cool laptop and connect to the internet at will.
The Vivaz is what a smartphone is supposed to be, at least according the evolving definition. It’s fun when you want video, music and a powerful camera, but serious when you need work to be done.
The Sony Ericsson Vivaz accomplishes all this and more through its 720MHz, Symbian, S60 5th Edition processor. Offering 5.33 hours of talk time and up to 440 hours standby time, the Vivaz is capable, classy and did I mention curvy?
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Eric M. Zeman, Phone ScoopBattery life and phone calls were good, and the speakerphone was excellent. The music player is decent. The camera performs well, has a good user interface and takes good pictures. The video camera performs similarly well. The gallery application and editing tools give the Vivaz at least one sol...
- PhoneArena Team, PhoneArenaFollowing a similar release schedule like the Xperia X10 we've recently checked out, the Sony Ericsson Vivaz manages to retain that same level of luster we found when it was launched a while back – which is mainly due to its on-contract price. Come to think of it, this has to be one of the...
- Richard Lai, EngadgetSony Ericsson's no stranger to phones with decent cameras, and the Vivaz with European 3G frequencies aims to be one of them; after all these months we've finally got hold of this S60 device, which is the first phone capable of continuous autofocus on 720p video recording courtesy of its speed...
- PhoneArena Team, PhoneArenaThe Sony Ericsson Vivaz is far from perfect in every single respect.
- Janet Harkman, CNETThe Sony Ericsson Vivaz works surprisingly well as a rough and ready 720p camcorder, but its unresponsive touchscreen and fiddly user interface mean it's an annoying phone to use for day-to-day tasks. With low-cost high-definition camcorders like the Flip Video UltraHD proving so popular,...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Sony Ericsson Vivaz user manual here.
Sony backs up the Ericsson Vivaz with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Ericsson Vivaz has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Sony support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Sony's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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