So I recently picked up the Sony Ericsson K550i, and I'm going to share my first impressions. Overall its a nice mid-range solution with only subtle changes to the w810/w800/k750 formula; namely an RSS reader in the messaging menu (which now gives update notifications just like email or text messages), browser based email, which makes it easier to download, and of course, the slimmer package.

Design:
A decent looking candybar, probably more suited to the no frills business user, rather than a purely entertainment oriented device. The model I have came in jet-black, cut also comes in all white. I really enjoy the navigation design, as joysticks tend to put me off a bit. A small metalic d-pad, as well as ideally placed soft-keys. I like the "browser button" placement over the "walkman" one typical of that line. After all, one can achive the same funtion by simply pressing the "play/pause" key.

The keypad however is.. well.. I can't quite decide if I like it or hate it. No doubt, it is ugly as sin. This slightly unappealling feature may have been compensated for through increased functionality; but I think its still too early too tell. I've always believed that having space between keys was essential to identifying them without looking; but without a way of distinguishing them (usually by means of a portion of the "5" key raised above the rest of them) from the others, one still has to look at the keys to get an idea of what they are typing.

This difference does exist on the k550, but its so minor that it may as well not be there. I will say that the space between the keys is sufficient to be able to ascertain their position via touch if needed; although the occasional quick glance may be necessary.


Display:
176x220 px TFD (not the usual TFT). This is supposed to save battery life, although it still seems as quick as the w810. The display isn't as clear as earlier models (thanks to TFD), and other than reduced price, I can really see no benefit to using it.

TX/RX:
850/900/1800/1900 (Quad band)
GPRS
EDGE
Reception is of course exceptional, which is to be expected of Sony Ericsson. Data transmission is relatively quick, although I didn't have a chance to try EDGE, as E-Plus, my current NSP, only offers UMTS, in the way of 3g data. (I will say however, that while in France, I did pick up an EDGE network on my W810, albeit at exceptionally high roaming rates, and there wasn't much of a difference in speed, as far as I could tell).

Memory:
The phone comes with about 75Mb of internal memory, which can of course can be upgraded to 2 extra gigs with the new memory stick micro format. Compare that with the 20Mb of on board memory of the w810.

Imaging:
The k550i comes with a 2 megapixel auto-focus camera, which has become standard fair at this price range. Picture quality seems to be on par with previous versions (w800/w810/k750), although in order to accomidate the slimmer body, a smaller cmos sensor was used. I'm not a professional photographer, and the picture quality of both solutions seems the same to me.





















W810





















K550

Multimedia:
So far the Mp3 play back is more than adequate for the casual user. The external speaker is loud enough, albeit somewhat scratchy. The handset only comes with one game; puzzle slider. After adding Galaxy On Fire however, it was obvious that the device could handle 3d rendering without trouble (in fact, it seemed to be smoother than the w810 in this regard).

Conclusion:
All in all, a nice little handset from SE, with some subtle improvements over previous models in this segment. I should also mention that the zoom function no longer functions while in 2 MP mode. A minor drawback, but I think that its compensated for by other improvements. If your looking for an inexpensive "all-in-one" handset, than the k550 is probably for you. If you want to upgrade from legacy k750/w800/w810 models, you might do well to hold out for something better, unless you have some disposable income, or are just bored (like me).