Sony Ericsson W580i Walkman: For Music Lovers on the Go

• Author: Moby
• Filed under: Sony Ericsson
• Date: Feb 22,2008

We have seen how Sony Ericsson has revolutionized the mobile world with its excellent integration of music into cellphones. It may not have been the first to introduce the concept, but the company sure brought best sound quality into the picture. The company has done it yet again with the Sony Ericsson W580i.

The slim W580i is the ideal phone for those who have the passion for music. Its sexy and sleek slider look has been especially designed with high-end walkman features which can give you solid performance however way you want it - whether you are jogging, walking or simply lazing away at home. The W850i is probably one of the most eye-catching headsets we have seen from Ericsson with its nice shape and compact dimensions. This unit measures 99 x 47 x 14mm and weighs only 94 grams, but is packed with the great features you can get out of an MP3 player, a radio and a pedometer.

As to the other features of this phone, the W580i is equipped with a brilliant 240 x 320 pixel TFT screen with 262K 144 colours, which you might find small for the phone’s size but actually easy on the eyes. It is equipped with a 2-megapixel camera which can shoot stills and videos protected within the closed sides. It has all the different shooting modes that most Ericsson handsets have, but without the all convenient flash.

The W580i has an internal memory of 128MB, but in addition to that, the unit also includes a 512MB Memory Stick Micro M2 external memory inside the box. You can choose from either a white, black or gray model. Ericsson has seemed to perfect its slider feature this time, as compared to their previous W850i. It is not easy to open with just one hand but not too loose to cause any worries.

We like the W580i’s well-designed navigation buttons and their buttons and controls are more intuitive. We particularly like the large OK button and the blue backlighting. As in other slider phones, the Keypads are set in so you might find it difficult to press the keys if you have large fingers. This will need some getting used to, but it should not be a problem for most.

The W580i is being marketed as the “Street-Style Walkman Phone” great for active people. It surely fits the advertising message quite well. Its features and design make it stand out from all the other models that Sony Ericsson has came up with before. Aside from being equipped with excellent sound quality MP3 player, camera, camcorder, radio tuner and pedometer, the W580i also has a mobile web browser and can support Java applications, blogs, RSS feeds and voice recognition. The standard applications are all in - alarm clock, calendar, calculator, notes, stopwatch, timer, flight mode, and so on. We find unfortunate though that it only supports EDGE and quadband GSM networks, no 3G.

The sleek and attractive design, its great sound quality, and its compact features make the Sony Ericsson W580i an ideal phone for music lovers on the go.

The Sony Ericsson W580 is available for $269.89 at ElephantCellular

tagged: 3G, Sony Ericsson, Keypad, W580i Walkman, W300

Sony Ericsson W890i: Walkman Phone at Its Best

• Author: Moby
• Filed under: Sony Ericsson
• Date: Feb 22,2008

The premier expertise in walkman phones undoubtedly belongs to Sony Ericsson and it has proved itself yet again with the Sony Ericsson W890i. The W890i is an attractive looking handset which is unbelievably slim. It is a walkman phone so expect most of its features to be centered on playing good music. It does have convenient features though.

The features of the W890i have probably been patterned after its older sibling, the W880i. While the W880i minutely-sized Keypad was a pain, the W890i is equipped with one that is actually usable. Its raised buttons, comfortable tactility and reasonable size makes it easier to use. It also now has the dedicated call/end buttons which Sony Ericsson has only recently adopted.

W890i is dedicated for music lovers as its features are all easy and ready for maximum enjoyment. It has a built-in FM radio with RDS feature which gets activated when the headphones are plugged. The phone also has conveniently dedicated music keys to come with its Walkman player, which is probably the best of all music software. The phone also supports Bluetooth stereo A2DP which means you can connect your headset wirelessly. It also features SensMe, which allows you to create playlists depending on your mood and your music preference. Additionally, you can enjoy the TrackID feature which allows automatic song name setting. Furthermore, it supports Mega Bass to enhance music and add depth to the sound.

The slimness of the W890i fortunately didn’t compromise the features. This phone does not only have its music feature to brag about; it is equipped with a 3.2-megapixel camera which has still and video capabilities. It comes with a digital zoom, though it lacks an LED or a Xenon flash add-on. The phone also supports Java games and a flight mode feature. This quad-band handset is also capable of supporting 3G/HSDPA, a media browsing-interface and a front-facing camera. We also appreciate the fact that the W890i package will come with a 2GB Stick Micro M2 card.

As far as music is concerned, this handset delivers everything you need the way you want them to. The sound quality is excellent, and plugging it to a stereo makes it even better. In terms of music quality, we believe that the W890i is probably one of the best Walkman phones ever in the market.

We do have a few more gripes about this phone though. First, we were disappointed with the camera shots. While the photo quality is decent enough, it doesn’t match up to the excellence of other Sony Ericsson phones. Sony could have done a better job at this, or it should have at least incorporated autofocus. It also does not have a 2.5/3.5mm audio jack, which means that you are stuck with the earphones that come with the package. It is also a wonder why the expansion card is placed behind the battery.

Overall, the Sony Ericsson W890i is definitely worth waiting for. It is the improved version of the W880i packed with all the goodies for music lovers out there.

Get Unlocked Cell Phones at ElephantCellular

tagged: 3G, HSDPA, Sony Ericsson, Keypad, W890i, Walkman