Sharp 902

Make love to a real camera-phone. No, not literally!

Over in Korea, LG and Samsung are neck and neck in the race to produce the first camera-phone that snaps ten-megapixel images. So it's kind of galling that back in Blighty we've only just got a two-megapixel snapper. Flying Vodafone's colours and compatible with its 3G live! service the Sharp 902 is, however, about as close as a phone can get to a real camera - for the time being, anyhow.

Sharp has learnt a trick or two from Sony Ericsson, as the 902 morphs into a camera in a similar way to its rival, the S700i. To achieve this, you take the rather bulky handset, twist the excellent 240 x 320-pixel screen around and slot it back into the phone. This turns the screen into a horizontal monitor that enables you to take landscape snaps. The biggest benefit is that you get to grip the camera-phone with two steady hands. And you need to - one twitch and the image is ruined, as the unit is very sensitive to movement.

To further underline this model's photographic credentials, Sharp has also included a basic flash and - a first in the UK - a pretty effective 2x optical zoom. Pictures are very similar to those from its predecessor, the GX-30, but more detailed and richer in colour. Outside, with good lighting, the 902 delivers stunning results for a phone. Yet like the GX-30, use it indoors or in slightly iffy shooting conditions and it can be blurry, with muted colours. Focusing is generally very slow too, so it's best not to snap moving objects. It's fair to say you won't be ditching your compact camera just yet.

Beyond the snapper, the 902 boasts a good line-up of facilities, including Bluetooth, an MP3 player, a primitive HTML Web browser and a mini scanner. We spent ages fiddling with the scanner and while it just about works, it's tricky to line the text in the right place. Video calling is high quality thanks to the excellent screen which also makes a good job of displaying both video downloads from the 3G live! site. Battery life at three hours' talk and 140 hours' standby is okay for a 3G phone.

Overall, the 902 isn't the huge leap we were expecting, although there's no denying it's capable of taking some sensational images for a camera-phone - as long as the subject isn't moving. If a camera is a priority and you can live with its bulkiness, to say nothing of its slightly outdated iPod-style finish, then it's worth a punt.