Test report and technical data SonyEricsson SEM100
SonyEricsson SEM100 - The minimalist with some quirks!
Positive about the Sonyericsson SEM 100: low price
Negative about the Sonyericsson SEM 100: lousy keypad, operation, sound
I was looking for a new mobile phone which would meet my simple demands. I did a lot of research on beginner mobiles, as they are professionally called. One of the models, which caught my closer attention, was the SonyEricsson SEM 100. Actually I already decided on purchasing the SonyEricsson SEM 100 but shortly before doing so I coincidentally ran into an old friend of mine, who coincidentally owns that precise SonyEricsson SEM 100. He disadvised me to his utmost possible not to get the SonyEricsson SEM 100.
He told me the SonyEricsson SEM 100 was a compact device, which is designed for handiness and functionality and therefore skips all possible fun-features. I thought:"Hm, but that's exactly what I'm looking for!!"
Speaking frank, the SonyEricsson SEM 100 does look quite appealing, I surely can't deny that. The shape of the SonyEricsson SEM 100 is, as it is characteristic for the manufacturer, quite angular. However this time the display of the SonyEricsson SEM 100 turns out to be unusually small.
The display of the SonyEricsson SEM 100 doesn't cover too much of the 99,5 x 43,5 x 18 mm dimensions of the SonyEricsson SEM 100, since the display only has a size of 27 x 18 mm. I could forgive the SonyEricsson SEM 100 that its display merely glimmers in a blue colour, but can't show any other colours. In return the SonyEricsson SEM 100 doesn't weigh too much with its 75 g, that was more important to me.
The only thing the friend of mine was satifisfied with, was the battery performance of the SonyEricsson SEM 100. The battery of the SonyEricsson SEM 100 has a stand-by time of 200 hours and a corresponding talk time of 4,5 hours.
At that point I didn't know, whether that friend of mine simply had different ideas about a mobile than I did or whether the SonyEricsson SEM 100 really was unsuitable. However with the following stories he did convince me in the end, that the SonyEricsson SEM 100 really isn't the right thing for me. The SonyEricsson SEM 100 does have some nice features, however some quirks, that I wouldn't want to deal with every day.
The most annoying factor concerns the keypad of the SonyEricsson SEM 100, since the single keys don't only look really cheap, but really are cheap. Only if you press them long and intensive enough, will the keys of the SonyEricsson SEM 100 respond. In addition to that the keys of the SonyEricsson SEM 100 are all kind of shaky and placed way too close to one another.
The sound quality of the SonyEricsson SEM 100 isn't all too good either. It apparently happens quite often, that you hear noises that definitely shouldn't be heard in a clear line.
Aside from that the concept of operating the SonyEricsson SEM 100 is already rather out-dated and therefore not efficient enough.
Since the SonyEricsson SEM 100 is not able to balance these deficits with other outstanding performances, I did decide after all not to go for the SonyEricsson SEM 100.
The features of the SonyEricsson SEM 100 are all just of an average quality. More modern features, such as MMS and camera, are not covered by the SonyEricsson SEM 100. Thus there's nothing to be found in the SonyEricsson SEM 100 that would enlighten the hearts of technology-lovers. Yet that has been calculated from the beginning by the manufacturer.
The user will be welcomed by functions, such as an organizer, a small telephone book, which merely covers 100 entries, and a calendar with an alarm and a to-do-list. These functions can be synchronized with a PC.
The SonyEricsson SEM 100 is better equipped with features of the entertainment-sector, which are all unnecessary for my needs. You can send pictures and sounds with the SonyEricsson SEM 100, even to mobiles of other manufacturers than SonyEricsson. Apart from that you can compose your very own ringer tones with the SonyEricsson SEM 100 and of course playing with the SonyEricsson SEM 100 is possible.
Transferring data is rather hard with the SonyEricsson SEM 100 since the only potential data-tranferrer of the SonyEricsson SEM 100 is its WAP-browser.
I'm sure the SonyEricsson SEM 100 is no record-breaking innovation, but the SonyEricsson SEM 100 doesn't meet my expectations, since it is too entertainment oriented. Whoever likes that though could reconsider the SonyEricsson SEM 100 since it isn't all too expensive. In my case, I was looking for a low-profile mobile , but when buying such a mobile I do expect that it at least functions ideally. I don't see that with the SonyEricsson SEM 100.
Test-review of the Sonyericsson SEM 100:
Technical features: ++
Reception quality: +++
Ease of use: ++
Battery stand-by time: +++
Design: ++
Instruction manual: +++
Value for money: ++
Overall rating: ++
++++/excellent, +++/good, ++/satisfactory, +/poor
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