Sony Ericsson Zylo

This phone was launch at the same time as the SE Spiro and that model has a 3.5mm port, so what gives? The Spiro does not have the features as good as the Zylo, so why on earth would Sony Ericsson put a 3.5mm port there instead of the Zylo? Anyway, back to its design, on the right side is the volume toggle and camera button. Sliding the Zylo up and down was not a problem and it certainly feels solid enough.

The camera found on the Zylo is neither fantastic nor terrible. A 3.2 megapixel shooter is just about as basic as it gets these days. Pictures in daylight turned out beautifully but night time shot were quite terrible, even more so due to the absence of a flash. For best results, keep your hand steady because it isn’t that fast altogether. Its video player is about as basic as the camera too.

It’s a pity it has no Wi-Fi since everyone loves going on to Facebook and Twitter. But there’s always 3G for that. As with most SE phones these days, you can snap pics and post on Picasa and Flickr, plus, watching Youtube videos on its 2.6 inch screen isn’t a bad idea too.

Battery life is nothing to shout about. I managed two days under full usage. This slider comes in three interestingly named colors, namely Jazz Black, Chacha Silver and Swing Pink. Connectivity wise, everything is there, save the pre-mentioned Wi-Fi. Internal memory in this phone is at 260MB but it is expandable up to 16GB with a microSD card slot.

Overall, there a few nice features on this phone, but some spoilers just ruin the whole magic of it. If you are looking for a new phone with good music features and decent in day-to-day usage, then you should check out the Zylo.

Pros : Audio qulity, MicroSD up to 16GB, Human curvature design

Cons : Lacks 3.5mm jack, Lousy keypad

Sony Ericsson Zylo Specifications :

Size : 103 x 52 x 11.5 mm

Weight : 115g

Display : Scratch resistant 2.6 inch TFT screen

Input : Keypad

Camera : 3.2 Megapixel / No Flash

Connectivity : HSDPA/3G/EDGE/GPRS/Bluetooth/USB/MicroSD
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Sony NEX-3 Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras

Sony NEX-3 Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras

Olympus was the first of the lot to bring Micro Four Thirds system to the world, followed by Panasonic and then Samsung with its own mirrorless SLR system. As one of the largest electronics company in the world, it’s only fair that Sony also want to tap into the large compact user crowd and this it did with unveiling of its highly anticipated Sony NEX range of mirrorless SLRs. Using Sony’s proprietary interchangeable lens system in a body as small as its Cyber-shot range, Sony has managed to roll out the world’s smallest mirrorless SLR ever.


I don’t know about you, but I’ve been waiting for something like this since its prototype was unveiled a few months ago. The NEX-3 was introduced alongside its sibling, the NEX-5 and the main differences are their bodies and that the NEX-5 shoots in 1080iP. The NEX-3 is built with polycarbonate body while the NEX-5 has a magnesium alloy body.

To be honest, I really like the NEX-3, firstly because it also comes in white and red whereas the NEX-5 only comes in silver. The review unit I got comes with the 18-200mm lens and 16mm F2.8 pancake lens. I find that the pancake lens does an awesome job of wide shots up-close while the zoom lens gives you more control over creative shots. The NEX series acts as a ‘bridge’ to DSLRs for compact users and it comes with shooting tips to optimize photography results.

The only gripe I had was with the auto focus, which couldn’t ‘lock’ onto the subject if you half press and release the shutter the second time. This not only happens with the Sony NEX-3 but for most mirrorless compacts as well, I find.

With HDR mode, Sweep Panorama, Anti Motion Blur and many other artistic effects for creative, edgy look, the NEX-3 is never short of capabilities and it goes beyond just point-and-shoot. It incorporates the simplicity and size of a compact but uses the performance and capabilities of a DSLR. Personally, I was contemplating to get a DSLR but after just one-night with the NEX-3, I realize that this too can be a complement or possible replacement for DSLRs in the future.