Sony Ericsson has long been the star of the mobile phone industry. Not only does it have a world renowned brand but it provides models that are exceptionally good at what they do. The Walkman and Cybershot phones that Sony produces usually contain the highest technology and have the prices to match. However, now there is at least one model that you can afford – the Sony Ericsson C510. One of Sony Ericsson's most affordable handsets yet, the Sony Ericsson C510 can really appeal to those looking for a bargain but does the handset live up to the hype?



The Sony Ericsson C510 is most definitely a stylish phone and would appeal to everyone at first glance. Very pleasing on the eye, you will fall in love with it right away. It is incredibly fashionable with its clean lines, sleek casing and a huge 2.2” TFT screen that absolutely dominates it. In fact, it is the Sony Ericsson C510's screen that will catch your eye from the very start. It displays crisp and clear images, in line with the vast majority of its Cybershot predecessors, and frames the handset well. The buttons that are located underneath it are also a good size and easy enough to use so the overall appearance is proportional, functional and stylish.

As a Cybershot phone, the Sony Ericsson C510's main feature focus is the camera. At 3.2MP, it is definitely stronger than the cameras to be found on most other affordable phones out there. Not only are the images that the camera can take of an excellent quality but it also has most of the most technologically advanced features available. Face detection, smile shutter, auto focus and photo fix are all available to make your pictures better. There is also a picture blogging feature that allows you to upload photos to your blog as and when you like. Again, all of these features are apt for an upmarket phone but may not be on the feature list that you expected from a mid-range phone like the Sony Ericsson C510!

The Sony Ericsson C510 also has a good music player, unlike some of the Cybershot handsets. The media player also features some of the latest technology, with mega bass capabilities, bluetooth stereo and the usual Sony features like TrackID and PlayNow. It supports most file formats so you can listen to your tunes as and when you like. There are other fantastic features as well, such as access to Google Maps, high end connectivity (bluetooth, USB, GPRS, EDGE, NetFront and PictBridge to name a few) and motion gaming. As such, the handset is packed full of features that can revolutionize your affordable handset experience.

There are a few minor niggles associated with the Sony Ericsson C510, but they should not pose a problem for most people. For example, the dedicated button that takes you directly to the camera is a little sensitive but you will get used to it within a few days. The 100MB of inbuilt memory may also be a problem for some people because of the features but the memory is much bigger than other similar phones. It can also be supplemented with a Micro M2 memory stick.

In summary, the Sony Ericsson C510 is a fantastic little phone that ha excellent features considering how affordable it is. If you are looking for something to blow your mind technologically then this handset will not be it but if you just want all the features that you expect as standard without the cost then this is the handset for you!