Introduction

Released June 2002, the Sony Ericsson T300 has a clean design, distinct lines, a full color screen and quality materials that make the T300 stand out from others.

Sony Ericsson says that the T300 is simple and minimalist in design- the personality behind the phone is colorful, exciting and very free. This is no luxury phone, but it gets the job done. Taking intermediate position between the T200 and T600 in the phone line for Sony Ericsson it is possible to call the T300 a simple version of the T68i.

Design

The phone may look simple, but the features account for appearance by far. Similar to the T68i, the T300 has a unique Nokia appearance. It combines a boxy design with interchangeable faceplates. Our model was Midnight Red, but it also comes in Ice Blue and Mystic Green. It shares the T68i's 256 color, 5 line screen, along with the incredibly versatile 5-way joystick.

Internally though, the T300 is almost exactly the same as the T68i. If you've seen the T68i menu structure, you'll be more than comfortable with the T300's.

The T300 is being sold as an entry-level model in their lineup. Don't get fooled by its status though. The T300 throws its weight around with a decent color screen, polyphonic ring tones, MMS, and GPRS connectivity. It also contains one of the best operating systems for a phone. Customize backgrounds, screensavers, themes, and ring tones. Add to that changeable profiles, and personal pictures to callers and the combinations become endless.

It's great package and even better price should make this phone quite popular among budget shoppers. Expect to find it for $100 or less with a service plan.

Screen

A noticeable feature of the T300 is the bright LCD. It is the same quality display used in the T68i: 34 x 28 mm, resolution of 101 x 80 pixels, 256 color screen. The color display doesn't provide the kind of brilliant colors we're used to on laptops, however the clarity is exceptional.

There are also many other screen-settings in this model: adjustability of display contrast (10 settings), opportunity to install 3 kinds of types sizes (standard, large, and small). It provides legible text even at the smallest settings.

The display is illuminated with the help of LEDs situated on the sides of the screen. Indoors the screen is very bright, but in sunlight the colors will wash out. The ability to save backgrounds, screen savers, and themes makes full use of its colors. Also, it is able to fit 5 lines of text, making it a sizable screen for emailing, and text messaging.

Controls

As with small size of the phone, comes a small keypad. People with larger fingers may find the phone hard to press. However, the T300 still has the joystick found on the T68i. The 5 function joystick (Up, down, left, right, press) makes navigation around the menu options and playing games simple. Completely eliminating the need to navigate with buttons.

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