Sony Ericsson P990i review

If your average mobile were a sleek yacht, this would be an aircraft carrier with a full complement of planes and helicopters, an auxiliary deck-scrubbing team, extra bars of soap and more ship’s cats than is strictly necessary or hygienic. In other words, it means serious business but can also do pleasure – all at the cost of size.

Tablet PC or smartphone?

The specs of the P990 make it sound more like a tablet PC – Wi-Fi, QWERTY keyboard, touchscreen and an armour-plated partridge in a neatly trimmed, sturdy pear tree. That means it’s good for surfing the net, typing out emails and organising your schedule.

The simple Symbian interface makes it easy to either tap your way through the menus using the stylus or scroll around with the jog wheel and, despite the touchscreen, you get a proper keypad for dialling numbers. As with its P800 and P910i forebears, it’s also talented in the mobile gaming department.

It’s unfortunate, then, that the handset’s too big to carry without worrying about the size of your pocket bulge. The massive girth is partly down to its 3G ability but we’re tempted to say it wasn’t worth it.