Sony Ericsson's Elm is a handset in its GreenHeart series. These phones, many of which have tree-related names, are designed with the environment in mind. They have recycled plastics in their build and they avoid hazardous chemicals. The eco card is one tech producers are increasingly playing, and it is nice to see, but of course the handset has to stand up on its own too.

The Elm has some good on-paper specs. It has HSDPA support and a front camera for two-way video calling. The handset has built-in Wi-Fi, a 5-megapixel main camera and an FM radio. GPS is also present, and Sony Ericsson stalwart application GPS Tracker will plot any route you've taken and tell you how far you've been. It is handy for jogging and walking. There are Facebook, Twitter and MySpace clients too.

Sony Ericsson throws in some eco friendly apps in the shape of a game called EcoMate and Green Calculator which estimates CO2 emissions. Sony Ericsson has also tweaked its WalkMate pedometer so that it calculates CO2 savings made by walking. Whether you are actually saving that CO2 depends on what mode of transport you'd be using instead of walking, of course, but it is an interesting calculation nonetheless.

This is a good set of general specifications, and the eco features are easy to ignore if you don't want to use them.

The handset takes a candybar design and is very pocketable at 110 x 45 x 14mm x 90g. The screen is necessarily small at 2.2-inches, and its 240 x 320 pixels aren't ideal for data-rich activities like Web browsing, but an accelerometer means the screen flips into wide format as you turn the handset in your palm, helping to maximise the available space.

The number pad is well made and its keys are responsive. Push the up edge of the large D-pad and you get to five application shortcuts (Calendar, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and WalkMate). To the left of the D-pad there is an Activity menu button which users of Sony Ericsson handsets will find familiar. Tap this and you get a tabbed menu you can use to view alerts, switch between running apps and fill with application and Internet shortcuts.

The back of the phone is slightly curved. This doesn't have any effect on ergonomics when you hold or pocket the Elm, but it means the phone doesn't sit quite flat on the desk.

Sony Ericsson has given the camera some nice tweaks which include a macro mode, smile detection and face detection. The camera shoots a fairly good photo, but you'll need a steady hand to avoid getting blurred snaps. The LED light is only really useful if you are close to your subject, but it is great that it can be used as a torch.

All of these positive features make the fact that Sony Ericsson has chosen to use its proprietary headset connector very annoying. The slot is on the left side of the casing where the large protrusion it makes is irritating when the handset is in a pocket. Because the provided headset is one-piece you can't use a favourite 3.5mm-jacked set of earphones, either.

Verdict
You might be drawn to this handset by its eco cred, but decide to choose it for its broad spread of features. Opting for the annoying proprietary headset connector was probably Sony Ericsson's worst move with the Elm.

Company: Sony Ericsson

Contact: 08705 237 237

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