Screen

Measuring 240 x 320 px, the Sony Ericsson S710a's large TFT (Thin Film Transistor) screen can display up to 262K colors; outperforming the market with clear and vivid images in both indoor and outdoor conditions.

Being TFT, rather than STN (Super Twisted Nematic), circuit transistors are placed directly on the glass; technology allowing for faster refresh rates resulting from not having to scan each pixel location. Great for fast changing applications, the S710a's internal TFT screen is ideal for using the phone as a viewfinder providing responsive and fast refresh rates.

Audio

Supporting up to 40 chords, the Sony Ericsson S710a plays polyphonic ringtones beautifully. Using the MIDI format, ringtones can be composed, edited, and sent using the built-in MusicDJ sound synthesizer program.

The S710a also supports MP3s. Fast becoming the new standard, MP3s are straight recordings from an audio source, resulting in an exact duplicate of the recorded source. Music with lyrics, recorded voice, or anything else users can play and record can now be turned into a ringtone.

Additionally, the Media Player software converts the S710a into a portable MP3, MPEG4, and H.263 player, allowing users to play music as well as watch pictures or streamed or downloaded video clips.

Messaging

The numeric keypad is revealed by rotating the S710a to the open position. And Sony Ericsson has incorporated the latest text messaging features in the S710a. SMS and MMS allow users to communicate by saying it in words, images, sounds, or video.

Great for sending multimedia birthday greetings or vacation postcard messages, the S710a gives users the versatility to combine sharp photos from the built-in camera with text messaging creativity; bringing interesting combinations of photography and personalized messaging to keep people in touch.

Maximum file sizes for MMS messages are 100 KB. The keys and navigation provide excellent tactile feedback making composing messages simple. With connectivity features and an intuitive menu system, users are able to use a wide variety of MIME types for OTA (Over-The-Air) transfers.

Wireless Village instant messaging (My Friends) is also included on the S710a. Going beyond previous mobile chat features, Wireless Village specifications define how the instant messaging provides an open connection with existing IM providers, such as AOL, ICQ, Yahoo and MSN.

The result is a system for sharing personal information about the user's status, (On-line, Off-line, Busy), location (Home, Work), and the moods of their friends and colleagues (Happy, Angry). In addition, services will allow users to participate in private or public chat rooms with search capabilities. Ultimately network operators will be able to provide meeting and conferencing type of services with shared content.

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