A Quick Look at the Low-end: Sony Ericsson K320i

Now that I’ve been using the Sony Ericsson K320i for around a month, I feel I can write fair pocket review of this product. My verdict: it works well, but could sure stand some useability improvements.

This device comes with the bells and whistles that you would expect from a low-end phone with a camera. At best, the camera takes only VGA-quality (640×480) images so don’t expect much. The video and sound recording features are extra. The phone also boasts an Entertainment suite with sound and image editor, as well as a decent media player. Too bad the speaker isn’t all that great. There’s also an organizer with notes, calendar, calculator, stopwatch, file manager and to-do list. Pretty standard stuff.

One useful touch is the 1000-entry contact list with multiple fields for different information. I also like the fact that it uses a USB cable and is seen by my PC as a simple USB storage device. And, no, I did not have to install any device drivers.

My gripes are mainly with the SMS interface. While writing a text message, making one particular mistake (hitting the Back Key) forces you to either save the message in your Drafts folder or lose it. There should be a way to go back to writing the message immediately, but there isn’t. You have to save the message then open it again from the Drafts folder. What a hassle.

Another improvement would be an easy way to set the volume of the message alert. I’ve explored the menus and haven’t been able to find a volume control for message alerts.

This phone has been on the market for a while so it’s not really a hot item. But it’s still in the running as far as low-end cellphones go. As far as making calls, taking a few pictures, and listening to media is concerned, it scores a fair rating and can compete with others in this class. If, however, you love sending text messages, this offering will slow you down. There are better phones for that.

My advice: if it comes free with your cellular service subscription, take it. If you want to buy a new phone, you might want to compare it with others first.