Sony Ericsson’s Z520 is theoretically an update to the Z500, which has been available since 2004. Both devices have a VGA camera, and both have changeable face plates wrapped around a clamshell form factor, but other than that, they really don’t have much in common.
The new Z520 is a smaller, and, in most ways, a more advanced and capable handset. It weighs 3.4 ounces with a SIM card and measures 3.7 by 1.8 by .9 inches. The exterior of the phone houses a new, larger 4,000-color display along with the camera lens, a dedicated camera button, the volume control, and an IR port. A large speaker port on the back keeps the sound coming loud and clear, and Sony Ericsson’s new USB-2.0-compatible Fast Port on the bottom of the device provides speedy PC connections.
All that, everybody can agree, is good news. But one thing that is both new and a bit controversial is Sony Ericsson’s use of a loop antenna at the top of the device. While some people, myself included, like the different look it offers, the design has received a largely cool reception in general. The interior of the phone, however, sports a safe and attractive design. The numeric keypad’s buttons are large and easy to use (and well backlit), and the 5-way directional controller, or d-pad, is also of a good design. The new 128 x 160 pixel, 64,000-color display on the inside is also an improvement over the older model, being reasonably bright and usable in harsh light.
The Z520’s VGA camera works well enough for casual snapshots, and the photos look reasonably good on the main display. The 40-voice polyphonic sound system can play MP3 as well as MIDI sound files as ringtones. MP3 and MIDI ringtones can also be used for new message notification, something that you couldn’t do in older Sony Ericsson phones. Perhaps the coolest feature of the Z520 is its Light Effects system, which displays various light patterns around the edge of the keypad based on who is calling or when a message arrives. It works as a nice addition to the normal ringtone and vibration alerts.
When it comes to making phones calls, the Z520 does a fine job. The new antenna seems to be quite effective at grabbing and holding onto a signal in any of the four GSM bands it supports. Audio quality in the calls was good, and the speakerphone function worked pretty well. The contacts system in the Z520 lets you store all sorts of information about a person beyond the simple phone numbers and e-mail addresses. A flexible profiles system lets you specify a number for your calls to be forwarded to as well as define a group of contacts to allow inbound calls from. The Z520 managed 9 hours of talk time in our test, which is exactly what Sony Ericsson claims the device should be capable of.
Beyond the previously mentioned USB and IR connectivity, the new Z520 also supports Bluetooth for both audio and data connections. This means that you can use a Bluetooth headset or car kit as well as link up with a PC to synchronize your contacts and calendar. One thing the Z520 lacks in terms of connectivity is EDGE data support, which is a substantially faster version of GPRS that is now supported by both major GSM carriers in the U.S.
Beyond the organizer apps like the calendar, task list, and calculator, the Z520 ships with a couple of games. Our unit had NY Nights, a very fun simulation game, and QuadraPop, a Tetris clone. Other Java based apps can be downloaded for free or bought from sites on the Internet.
The Sony Ericsson Z520 is a great little handset. It has the best user interface on the market, great battery life, and a solid feature set that includes full Bluetooth support. For the Money, there is probably no better value on the market at this time.
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