The Sony Ericsson S312 is a fairly low cost handset whose emphasis is on its camera capability above all else. Though the shooter is only 2-Megapixels in strength it has a couple of features that help it stand out from the crowd. See how we got on with the entry-level Sony Ericsson S312 in our full-on review…
The Sony Ericsson S312 is a good-looking and well built phone. There is a side button for launching the camera and a second one for launching video shooting mode. Now, these only function if you are on the main screen of the handset, but they are handy nonetheless. There are also four shortcut buttons sitting on the 3, 6, 9 and # keys that give you access to camera features, for example letting you use the self timer, light and, if in video shooting mode, the microphone.
These shortcuts are handy, but we’d avoid video shooting mode altogether as videos are a little blurry and the zoom is jerky. Stills are better, and you can blog directly from the handset, but still, if you are a keen photographer, you might want to look for a more capable handset.
The candybar format is small and light, and at 80g this is an easy handset to pocket. When not in use the 2-inch screen is hidden behind a mirrored upper section of the phone. The screen is a bit small for Web browsing even using the pre installed Opera software, but as the handset does not have 3G support it is not ideal for the mobile Web anyway.
With 15MB of built in memory you can store a few tunes before you need to invest in a Memory Stick Micro card, but you’ll probably need one fairly early on. Battery life is average. You ought to get two days out of the phone between charges.
Verdict
The Sony Ericsson S312 does not really stand out of the crowd of low cost handsets despite its easy-to-use camera shortcuts.
Best features
Camera shortcut buttons
Light for the pocket
Fair battery life
Not so good
Camera only 2-Megapixels
Not the best video shooter
Small screen
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