Sony Ericson K790i, K800i - A few questions

Hi,

I've been looking at the Sony Ericson K790i and K800i. I know that the main differences in these two phones is the network they work on. Unfortunately, I'm a newbie when it comes to anything about cell phone networks...can anyone tell me which network Japan and the US run on? I currently live in the US, but since I travel to Japan at least once or twice a year, I'm looking for a phone that I can use there as well (I'm pretty sure I can use this phone with Cingular/AT&T). Also, I've been looking at reviews for these phones and a lot of people say there are some firmware problems (getting the 'white screen of death'...?). I'm wondering if anyone here can tell me more about this? Has anyone taken pictures with these phones and posted them on the net? I'd like to see the quality of the pictures on the computer. One last question about these phones; how quickly do they take pictures? I had a Sony Cybershot camera before, but it was really difficult for me to take a picture that wasn't blurry (or the picture perfect moment has already passed) because the picture would be taken about 2-3 seconds after I hit the button. Anyway, thanks for reading!

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Since you're with at&t, you should get the K790a because it has the 850/1900 frequencies. If you're going to use any of the other models, they lack support for 850, and you might have spotty reception at best.

For Japan, you need to find a phone that supports WCDMA 2100. Japan primarily uses CDMA as its main cellular network. WCDMA is used for people who want to use GSM technology. Neither the K790 nor the K800 use WCDMA. You're going to have to look elsewhere.

Just because you have read about peoples' experience with the WSOD on reviews or forums, doesn't mean it happens alot...that is just the minority of users. That should not deter you from buying one. And as long as you have warranty and receipt as proof, you should be fine. Many people have posted pics using their K800/790. Just do a search and you'll find pictures that they have taken. There are also sample pics on GSMArena.com, so you can check them out and compare between other 3MP camera phones. Response time of the camera is fairly quick. It takes about 2 - 3 seconds for the camera to load up. Then about 1 - 2 second lag after taking a pic. If you're really concerned with taking high quality pics, then you might want to consider just buying a dedicated digital camera that's better than your current Cyber-Shot. The K800/790 is a nice phone with a good cam, but it still does not replace high quality cams.

Thanks for your response peryus88!

I found the info about Japan's network really helpful. However, how can I tell if a phone supports WCDMA? I've been looking at all different kinds of phones online now, and I'm not exactly sure what spec to search for as far as networks go (WCDMA isn't an option). For example, on gsmarena.com, I can specify if I wanna search for a phone with "GSM and UMTS (3G)" or "Quad-Band GSM 850/900/1800/1900" etc. and I'm not sure which option to choose

If the phone supports WCDMA 2100, then that is what you'll be aiming for. The phone finder on GSMArena is more on the general side, but what can you do when you have to keep information of about all GSM phones in the world. Use the phone finder feature on Phonescoop.com. That will help you narrow your search down a little bit.

Phone Finder Results (Phone Scoop)

Try researching on some of the phones that given on the list provided in the link. I included phones that have at least a 2MP camera since you referred to about the K800i, and picture taking might be important to you. You more than likely want to go with the N Series phones with Nokia. The N90 is listed as one of the phones that uses WCDMA 2100. I'm not too sure if the N93 also supports WCDMA 2100. But if it does, you might want to look into that because I think that one still takes one of the best pictures for a camera phone with its 3.15MP camera and Carl Zeiss lens. Yes, the Xenon flash does make a difference on the K800i when taking pics at night (even at pitch black at times), and it will be missed since the other phones only use a LED light. But with all camera phones, all you need is sufficient lightning and you should be alright.

ive got the k 790i i have never had any problems with the firmware, and the camera is extemelly easy to use

mmm, i just ordered a k800i from cell hut. like it says its compatible but what is this with everybody claiming that its not?

Originally Posted by akloaditigrt21

mmm, i just ordered a k800i from cell hut. like it says its compatible but what is this with everybody claiming that its not?

What are you talking about? Elaborate.

Originally Posted by AGrubier1

ive got the k 790i i have never had any problems with the firmware, and the camera is extemelly easy to use

i agree completely!