Sony Ericsson boxes a 2GB Memory Stick Micro memory card with the C905, giving you a bit of legroom for adding tracks as well as handling large image files generated by the high resolution camera. Onboard available memory is 160MB, so a card is needed. Higher capacity cards up to 8GB are supported on this phone.

An easy to use FM radio is included too, and the latest version of Sony Ericsson's TrackID song identification software is embedded.

Online activity

With Wi-Fi connectivity onboard you can get high-speed data connectivity from home Wi-Fi set-ups, work networks or public access hotspots – ideal if you want to download content online without incurring mobile data costs, or upload content such as videos or high res images speedily (and cheaply). It's easy to set up and use in just a few button clicks.

Mobile HSDPA connectivity gives fast mobile data access too – offering maximum downlink rates of up to 3.6Mbp. The full web browser is similar to other Sony Ericssons, so provides a familiar, straightforward to use home screen and a reasonable (if not iPhone-like) web-browsing experience for this class of handset.

Streaming or downloading audio or video from mobile network operator services is supported too, and is suitably quick to do. You can also easily copy content from a PC to the phone using supplied Media Manager software and a USB cable, or by dragging and dropping in mass storage mode, or via Bluetooth. A USB memory card reader is in-box too for quick copying straight to a card.

Additional features

Alongside the higher-spec gadgetry, Sony Ericsson has packed in a good helping of typical mid-tier software. Its organiser and messaging functionality ticks the right boxes, including email support, calendar, alarms, tasks, notes, voice recorder, world clock, timer, stopwatch, calculator and a code memo function.

An AccuWeather.com app provides web-based weather updates and forecasts too, and three games come pre-loaded.

Top notch cameraphone

Sony Ericsson scores highly on the essentials of voice calling, with a high quality, clear performance on call in a variety of conditions.

We were less enthralled by the battery performance, with some heavy juice-using features such as GPS, Wi-Fi and the xenon camera flash accelerating the run-down times in our tests. In optimum network conditions, Sony Ericsson reckons it can achieve 360-380 hours standby or talktime of 4 hours on 3G networks or 9 hours on GSM. We found ourselves having to charge most days, though, if we used the high-ticket features regularly.

Raising the bar for its Cyber-shot range, Sony Ericsson's 8.1-megapixel Cyber-shot phone is a highly attractive option for those with a strong in interest in high quality cameraphone images. It produces very presentable printable shots, with the xenon flash adding extra power to low-light shooting.

As an all-round handset, the Sony Ericsson C905 may not have the feature punch of a top-end smartphone and is certainly no slimline pocketful. But Wi-Fi and A-GPS technology do add some extra high-end appeal to superb cameraphone package.

Looks: 4/5
Ease of use: 4/5
Features: 4/5
Call quality: 4.5/5
Value: 4/5

Network availability: O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone, 3