Messaging

The C905a has all the bases covered with text messaging, instant messaging and push email, which notifies users immediately when they receive new mail.

The handset supports POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP accounts and instant messaging from AOL, Windows Live and Yahoo.

Sony Ericsson makes multimedia messaging simple by putting all of the options in one place. So as users are composing a text message, they can easily add recorded sound, photos, videos, animation or pictures by flipping through a menu of icons.

The keypad is generally spacious -- except for the top row which is against the sliding portion of the phone. The flat keys make it difficult to text without looking but fortunately they are backlit in the dark.

Entertainment

AT&T's user interface organizes the fun features under the "Entertainment" icon on the main menu -- including photo, music, games and videos.

The C905a comes with several preinstalled demos such as Bubble Bash, I-Play Bowling, Ms. Pac Man, Need for Speed, Turbo Jet Ski and Wheel of Fortune. Gamers will need to pay more for the full version.

If those aren't enough, customers can buy for more games at AT&T's MEdia Mall.

Internet

The C905a runs on AT&T's 3G HSDPA network for typical download rates of 1.7Mbp and upload rates of 1.2Mbps -- with peak speeds of 7.2Mbps.

Its HTML browser can access social network websites like Facebook Mobile, ecommerce sites like eBay Mobile and Web-based email and instant messaging.

It was relatively easy to pan and zoom in and out on Web pages by using the central navigation key, but the C905a lacks the touch screen that has become standard fare pioneered by the iPhone. The phone lacks in ease of swiping and tapping a touch screen, but makes up for in the quick response.

When entering text, users can just press down on the navigation key to select where they want to enter text and a notepad appears. This makes using search engines and typing in a URLs convenient. With that said, some users who want a phone that acts more like a computer, with a focus on Web surfing, should consider a touch screen phone.

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