We were first introduced to the C510 at the tail end of 2008, under the codename of Kate, before a better set of leaked pictures came online at the beginning of January 2009. Now it's set for release, we have the final specs and a complete overview of this new CyberShot camera phone and it's looking like a great buy for anyone wanting a competent, stylish mid-range mobile!

The Sony Ericsson C510 is a very competitively priced handset, with an emphasis on fun over more serious photography. The mobile is a traditional Sony Ericsson candybar design, available in Radiation Silver and Future Black, and the faceplate will offer no design surprises to anyone familiar with the company's past work. It's a slim one though, at 12.5mm, plus the 92 gram weight makes this a very pocket-friendly camera phone. Flip the phone over and things get more interesting, as the camera lens is hidden behind a brushed metallic cover which slides to one side. Not only is this very practical, but it gives the C510 a really smooth, modern look.

As the C510 wears a CyberShot badge, it has all the toys to make the camera something really special, despite the fact it won't break the bank to purchase. The 3.2 megapixel camera lens may not sound impressive these days, but the truth is, it takes brilliant pictures at a resolution of 2048x1536 and easily holds its own against the Nokia 5800 and the Samsung U600, each of which feature a similar camera. The C510 edges ahead with features such as face and smile recognition, Photo Fix – where you can alter the brightness, contrast and light balance without transferring your snaps to a PC – plus the usual autofocus and LED flash for the best possible pictures.

The C510 will run the latest version of Sony Ericsson's feature phone software, so you'll benefit from a built-in YouTube client for watching video on the move, plus handy features not usually found on a mid-range phone such as threaded SMS conversations. With the 3G HSDPA connection web browsing will be quick and the Access NetFront browser is a great online companion. There's an FM RDS radio and a music player, plus the phone supports cell-based location ID which provides a geo-tagging experience without GPS.

Drag, drop, enjoy - Media Go™

The perfect entertainment organizer - Media Go™ makes it easier than ever before to bring your media with you, wherever you go. Transfer your media files between your phone and PC via drag and drop. File conversion is hassle-free, too: Media Go™ automatically converts films and music files to give you the best possible quality.

Comes with Facebook

With Facebook integrated, your C510 makes it easy to stay social. You have your friends' status updates on your phone screen. And when you snap a photo, you can upload it straight to your Facebook page.

Cyber-shot™

Sony Ericsson’s megapixel digital camera gives you crisp high resolution every time and added features more common to standalone cameras

Go for the smile

Press the Smile Shutter™ shortcut key, and you're guaranteed to have happy people in your pictures. Your C510 waits for the smile to appear - and when it's there, the camera automatically snaps the shot.

FM Radio

There's music in the air - just tune in and enjoy. Your phone has a built-in stereo FM radio.

Blog your life

The easy way to share your life in pictures. Take or choose a photo, add a little text and publish it for friends and family to enjoy

YouTube™ compatible

Watch your favourite clips over and over again. And when that funny moment you just caught on video deserves a wider audience, upload it for all to see. Your phone is fully YouTube™ compatible.

Music recognition

What’s that sound? Just record a few seconds of music and TrackID™ (powered by Gracenote Mobile MusicID) returns the song name, artist and album to your phone within seconds

Face detection

Want the people in your photos to come out sharp and clear? With the Face detection function activated, the camera automatically finds - and focuses on - the face in your viewfinder.

Photo light

Turn it on to get a better picture in poor lighting.

Accelerometer - auto-rotate

Enjoy your pictures in portrait or landscape mode. To move between modes, simply rotate the phone and the picture follows.

Quality prints via Snapfish

Get quality prints of your pictures delivered straight to your door via Snapfish*. You send the print order directly from your phone.
* The Snapfish service is subject to market availability. Snapfish and the Snapfish logo are trademarks of Snapfish.

PictBridge - print straight from your phone

Skip the computer and photo editing software. Just connect your phone to a printer, choose an image and print.

Bottom Line

The Sony Ericsson C510 is a delightfully simple mobile phone, it does everything one could want from a modern handset – 3G/HSDPA, music and media, a great camera, high call quality – all wrapped up in a stylish, cleanly designed casing. Best of all is the reasonable price; the C510 won't be a phone which will have to be admired from afar thanks to a prohibitively expensive price tag! While we appreciate the phone won't be winning many innovation awards, it does fit the phrase 'if it's not broken, don't fix it' perfectly, as the tried and tested Sony Ericsson CyberShot formula just keeps getting better!