One of the many leading smartphones available on the market today, the Sony Ericsson MK16A is like any of the other Android-powered phones on the market, using its 3.7-inch screen for many features. However, the MK16A has a surprise built-in, a full QWERTY-style keyboard that slips out from the bottom so you can quickly send a message or text and then snap it back together so you can take advantage of its high-contrast color screen.

That is the beauty of this phone. Unlike a Blackberry, where the screen and keyboard reside on the same device, this is a two-piece smartphone that gives you the best of both worlds. You can take advantage of one of the many thousands of applications that have been created to work under Android 2.3, using the full display, and still use a mini-sized small keyboard to handle your texting and email needs.

A surprising feature is its size, the MK16A is driven by a 1 GHz microprocessor and yet is only 2.2 inches by 0.5 inches by 4.7 inches, weighing an impressive 3.2 ounces. The MK16A is a lightweight, yet it packs a punch such as an 8.1 MP automatic camera, as well as a front-facing lens for videoconferencing or chats. Interestingly, the high-resolution camera features an autoflash capability and shoots at 720 p so that you can share any video you shoot through an interface cable with your high-resolution TV screen. Further, the M16A, though a lightweight, is still driven by a Qualcomm 1 GHz Snapdragon processor and up to 32 GB of memory so it can handle any chore you ask of it. For example, the M16A automatically recognizes you have received a mail message or text and notifies you so you can quickly answer it on the built-in QWERTY-style keyboard.

Internal memory available to you is 1 GB, while a microSD card takes care of the memory expansion. Further, since this is Sony Bravia-compatible, the phone automatically synchronizes with any other Bravia device and you can see the high-definition video messaging or displays through the synced device. A powerful unit, it automatically recognizes SMS texting, as MMS video messaging and instant messaging. Not only is there the built-in keyboard, which is great for higher-speed mails and the like, but the keypad itself is capacitive so that, if you are in a hurry, you can quickly send a message without snapping open the phone.

A key to this phone is its access to social media such as Twitter and Facebook and its ability to display what you see there. In addition, the MK16A is a fully independent wireless networking device capable of not only using standards 802.11 a/b/g/n, but also of acting as a high-speed hotspot. And, it will interface with other high-definition devices through a mini-HDMI cable or a USB 2 port. In other words, there’s very little this phone can’t do.

Indeed, it will operates on the full range of quad-band frequencies, offering GSM, GPRS/EDGE frequency operations on 800, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz, as will as UMTS and HSPA capability on 800, 850, 1900 and 2100 MHz. These are the frequencies used by AT&T and T-Mobile but not by a CDMA device, such as those offered by Sprint or Alltel.

The MK16A offers full radio capability plus access to the RDS service (Radio Directory Service, where the display features not only the station played but also the artist and frequency and, in some cases, if a sideband is offered with roadway service such as traffic, you may also gain valuable traffic information).

It also offers an HTML browser as well as DLNA-compatibility, Flash 10.1 and access to Google maps and GPS services.

As you can see this is a well-rounded phone that can handle anything you ask of it. Instead of needing two devices, such as a tablet and a phone, for that matter, this is the one device you need to carry with you as it offers you up to a full day’s talk time before you need to charge it again or you can plug it in an use it as a speakerphone while the battery is recharged.