Sony Ericsson Vivaz (AT&T Cell Phone) Review

ABOUT:

The Sony Ericsson Vivaz lets you capture your most creative moments and share them with the world over Wi-Fi™.

Features:

• Can shoot in HD video
• YouTube ready
• Touch screen (stylus included but not necessary)
• AT&T Navigator ready (voice guided directions at extra cost)
• 8.1 megapixel camera with auto-focus
• AT&T WiFi hotspot ready for unlimited Internet access
• Bluetooth Stereo
• Preloaded with Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace

MY THOUGHTS:

I have a love/hate relationship with this phone but overall my feelings are positive as hate is a strong word.  First off, I love how it is small and lightweight but not cheap enough where I feel like it will break in my hands.  I have owned a Sony Ericsson cell phone before and it lasted me a long time so I know their products are high quality.  Next, I love that it is touch screen but I dislike how you really have to apply pressure at times to get it to register what your typing.  It seems like maybe this is a safety feature so you are not carelessly pushing buttons but it can get frustrating when you are trying to type on it and it doesn’t recognize what characters you are pushing.  There is no slide out keyboard, the keypad is touch screen and luckily you can flip the phone sideways which makes the keyboard bigger and easier to use.

This phone is very Social Media focused so if you are someone that needs their Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or YouTube fix then this is a great phone.  This phone would have been a dream come true for me 3 years ago, but now that I am a stay at home mom, I don’t go out enough to justify getting a data/Internet package on my phone.  Don’t get me wrong, I totally see the benefits and there are times I am wishing I could check the Internet or my Social Networks, but with AT&T it is an extra $30 a month that I could spend elsewhere.  It is nice though that you can use the 8.1 megapixel (yes it is a rockin’ camera for a cell phone) camera to take pictures and videos and upload them directly on the go for blog posts or family.  I got to try this out and it worked great, maybe not the fastest, but it worked.

I want to focus on though on the camera as I am still amazed at it being an 8.1 megapixel camera with HD video capabilities.  The high resolution pictures come out great and I was even able to plug the phone into my computer through the included USB cable.  The phone prompted me and it then automatically opened iPhoto on my Mac to import the pictures – love that!

Two photos I took with the camera on the phone:

I still haven’t taken advantage of all the features – Music Player, Instant Messaging, Email synching, Bluetooth synch with my car, or downloaded games/apps, just to name a few – but the few features I have played with I like.  It is definitely a phone that you need to play around with to understand.  I admit I didn’t like this phone at first because it seemed to complex for me, but now after trial and error I can navigate it just fine.  Oh and did I mention with the WiFi access, I was able to jump on the WiFi at my own home and surf the Internet!  (This was nice because I only had a trial of the Data Plan package so free WiFi is the only way I can access the Internet right now.)

Overall, I think the Vivaz is great for someone who wants an awesome cell phone camera (no more carrying around a phone and camera), likes Social Media (although its not necessary) and likes touch screen.  There is a small stylus pen included but honestly it is so small and since it doesn’t actually fit in the cell phone I lost it already.  You don’t need a stylus though as hands work just fine.  There are some games already loaded too on the phone but they are just Demo versions.  Also, the phone does have a somewhat outdated operating system (from what I read) so it can run a little slow if you have too much open.  The battery life is also decent (5.6 hours of talk time and 13.7 days of standby time.)

BUY IT: You can purchase the Sony Ericsson Vivaz at your local electronics store or AT&T store.  It’s suggested price is $429.99 but after a 2-year commitment to AT&T, they have it on the AT&T website for $79.99.

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Mama’s Money Savers Disclosure: I was sent this phone to review but my opinion remains my own. Please see my Disclosure Policy.