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Average user rating:
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Full user review
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4.0 stars
"A great phone at a great price!"
Pros: stylish design, cool UI, mp3 and video playback
Cons: lack of InfraRed and sufficient memory
Summary: In the maddening race to outfit mobile phones with everything except the kitchen sink, most manufacturers seem to have forgotten that there exists a market for cellphones that get the basics right. For instance, most Walkman and other phones are overtly heavy and difficult to actually use after a while, and most hi-end phones pack in features that many do not really need, truthfully speaking. Why, for example, do we REALLY need a camera phone, when we admit that anything below 5 MPixels is really not much of a concert?
The Sony Ericsson J300 landed on my desk with very few expectations, having read Cnet's lacklustre review of the same. However, I found myself liking the beautiful silver-and-dark gray duotone color theme. It looks very good in the black version (Midnight Gray actually), a lot better than on the Sony website.
I actually found the Sony Ericsson joystick to be a pleasure, and rarely , if ever, misdirected it. Having owned a Sony phone once, I have grown used to the cool User Interface which I appreciate a lot more than a Nokia or Samsung, for instance. In fact, UI was one of the main decisions I took for opting for this phone, so it didnt disappoint.
Despite being such a small phone, the raised antenna on the rear holds a surprise element of balancing the phone on the forefinger while talking; an unexpected benefit which I have grown to admire. It also makes a stylish statement. Personally, I felt this could be used in more Sony Ericsson phones in the future too.
The display is small, but then what do you expect? That said, it is bright and pretty, and certainly adequate. You can jazz it up with themes, and I especially like the default font used.
Though a side volume adjuster is missing, you can move the joystick to the right to increase the volume, which gets intuitive after a while.
The MP3 ringtones are a great benefit, while the Video Player is a boon. That said, the paltry 12 MB memory soon runs out after a while. Still, the J300 does have as much memory as the older K500i which my pal had, so I dont consider that bad. Just compare it with other Sony Ericsson phones in this range, and you will know what I am talking about.
The lack of Infra Red is a blemish, mainly because it is not that difficult to incorporate one. Using the extra USB cable all the while can be a chore, a task best left to IR. Even the less espensive J200 has this feature. Speaking of which, I have not felt the lack of triband a serious offence, but that might be an issue with some readers...
Overall, perhaps the phone can be summarised in this way: everyone looking for a basic and functional phone were impressed by this J baby ("Ja Baby" !) while all who had hi-end phones on their minds disliked it. So, to borrow a quote, "whose side are you on"?
