The first thing you'll notice about the Z550i is its classy look and solid build quality. Our review unit was clad in the Sterling Black color scheme while another version, called Copper Pearl, is also available. I personally prefer this silver and black combination as it looks more professional, but the copper look would be better if you prefer something a little more feminine. Flipping open the phone with one hand is pretty easy and the hinge feels sturdy, indicating that it should last many flips. As a matter of fact, there is a flip counter located in the hidden service menu that keeps count on how many times you open the Z550i.

Measuring 88mm x 45mm x 20mm (3.6" x 1.8" x 0.9") and weighing in at only 92.5g (3.7oz), the Z550i may not be the slimmest or sleekest phone around, but it's still quite petite. You won't have any issues stuffing the phone into a tight jeans pocket or cramped handbag. The Z550i's design is very impressive and you'd be hard pressed to find a phone with a better combination of style and size for this kind of price.

The display is fairly noteworthy for a handset in this price range. The Z550i utilizes a TFT (176 x 220) screen that is capable of 262 thousand colours. Overall its performance was above average, with a bright, vibrant picture displayed throughout our testing. It is therefore ideal for using as the camera viewfinder, or for viewing pictures and video clips. Furthermore, the Z550i display also has surprisingly good horizontal and vertical viewing angles and performs quite well in sunlight.

Quality images - 1.3 megapixels With the Z550i, you always have a camera close at hand. Take snapshots with the 1.3-megapixel camera. Transfer your pictures to your PC with a USB cable (optional accessory). Or just view them on the phone screen - in full colour. For situations that look better in motion, record some video.

Standard battery, Li-Ion 750 mAh
Stand-by Up to 320 h
Talk time Up to 5 h

Battery life is only average, with a day of many calls certainly pushing the phone to the limit.

Even though the Z550i is not a Walkman phone, it doesn't disappoint when it comes to music. The music player interface is simple to use, and very similar to the system found on almost every other Sony Ericsson mobile phone. Both AAC and MP3 file formats are supported by the Z550i, and you can have your tracks sorted by album or by artist, and even build multiple playlists on the go. There are various play modes available, and the availability of an equalizer allows users to tweak music to their fancy. Music is paused automatically when a call comes in, and resumes when the call ends. Other functions such as stopping files or adjusting the volume can be done via the side keys so you don't need to flip the phone open. An FM radio function is also available on the Z550i provided you plug in the stereo headset, which acts as the antenna.

With 20MB of onboard memory expandable to 1GB, it's simple to store and share a large collection of pictures using MMS, Bluetooth™ or e-mail.

Z550i Tri-Band GPRS 900/1800/1900 for Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific.
Z550c Tri-Band GPRS 900/1800/1900 for Mainland China.