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Like on the Z520a, the VGA-resolution digital camera on the Z525a comes with plenty of features, but we weren't quite pleased with the end result. You can take pictures in 640x480, 320x240, and 160x120 resolutions, as well as Normal and Fine quality settings. Other image options include Normal, Panorama, Frames, and Burst shooting modes; Black And White and Sepia picture effects; a night mode; a self-timer; a 4X zoom; and a brightness adjuster. The video recorder takes clips with sound, with clip length limited by available memory. Editing options are similar to those of the still camera. When finished with your shots or videos, you can send them in a multimedia message or save them to the phone's memory. Yet in an unwelcome change from the Z520a, the Z525a offers 12MB of shared space instead of 16MB. Also, while we were hoping for better photo quality on the new phone, images showed little improvement from the Z525a. Photos were equally washed out and grainy, and the lack of a flash didn't help. But if you care to play, PhotoDJ and VideoDJ applications are available.
You can personalize the phone with a variety of wallpapers, color themes, screensavers, and sounds. If you want more options, you can download them from Cingular and compose your own ring tones with the Music DJ application. Gamers can enjoy demo versions of four Java (J2ME) titles: Asphalt: Urban GT 3D, Tetris, Yahtzee Deluxe, and NY Nights. You'll have to buy the full versions.
We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) Sony Ericsson Z525a world phone in San Francisco using Cingular Wireless service. Call quality was on a par with the Z520a, which is to say it was good overall with acceptable clarity and loud volume. The phone picked up wind noise easily, and callers had more trouble hearing us than on the Z520a. Though it wasn't a big problem, generally we had to repeat ourselves several times when talking to an automated voice-response system. This was true even when we were in a quiet location. The rear-facing speakerphone was surprisingly loud; it's best that you face the speaker up if resting the Z525a on a surface. You must place a call before you can activate the speakerphone, but it doesn't hang up automatically when you close the flip. When we tried a Bluetooth headset, call quality didn't suffer significantly.
The Sony Ericsson Z525a promises less battery life than its predecessor. The rated talk time is 5 hours (instead of 9). Our tests confirmed these results with 4 hours and 55 minutes of talk time. The promised standby time is 16 days (instead of 13). According to FCC radiation tests, the Sony Ericsson Z525a has a digital SAR rating of 1.47 watts per kilogram.
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