Sony Ericsson Elm preview: First look

Gsmsrena have posted a preview of the Sony Ericsson Elm. Here are the phone's features and their final impresiion.

Sony Ericsson Elm at a glance:
* General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/2100, GPRS/EDGE class 10, HSDPA 7.2Mbps
* Form factor: Candybar
* Dimensions: 110 x 45 x 14 mm, 90 g
* Display: 2.2" 256K-color TFT display, 240 x 320 pixel resolution
* Memory: 280MB integrated memory, hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
* UI: Proprietary Flash-based UI
* Still camera: 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, geo-tagging, face detection, smile detection, VGA video recording @ 30fps
* Video recording: QVGA@15fps video recording
* Connectivity: Wi-Fi with DLNA, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, GPS receiver with A-GPS and Wisepilot trial
* Misc: Splash-resistant body, accelerometer sensor for screen auto rotation, SensMe, Noise Shield, Clear Voice and Intelligent Volume Adaptation, social networking integration with homescreen Widget Manager, HD Voice Ready
* Battery: 1000mAh BST-43 Li-Pol battery

The Sony Ericsson Elm isn't a revolutionary device but it sure has a front spot in the company's feature phone lineup. It's arguable whether GreenHeart will be as compelling as Cybershot or Walkman, but the Elm is certainly not limited to an eco-friendly niche. Right the opposite, together with the Hazel, it ventures to take charge of the Sony Ericsson midrange at a moment when the company is radically reshaping its portfolio.

With top-notch connectivity, good 5 megapixel imaging, the green commitment and new approach to social networking, the Elm has a strong enough identity that goes well beyond GreenHeart. A small, lightweight and feature-rich phone, with a distinct design, sounds like a good recipe for success.

We had such a nice time with it we may be tempted to overstate its sales potential. It may be too much and too early to call it a bestseller but it's all cheers on Elm street at present.