Sony Ericsson W810i
MP3 player first, phone second
Sony has its hands in pretty much everything tech-related. Try as we might, it’s nearly impossible to avoid the name when examining the most prevalent products in any given electronics category. In the case of music phones, Sony owns the popular "Walkman" name, giving the W810i the air of harmonic heaven. But, does the sound quality match up?
So, what makes this phone so special?
Outside of the name, the Sony Ericsson phone features some pretty exceptional sound quality. There, we said it. It may be possible that Sony took the "Walkman" titles pretty seriously when arranging priorities for this phone; where other communicators (such as the Sync and LG CU500) clearly placed design first and foremost, the W810i is all about the music.
The Sony Ericsson W810i also features an excellent 2.0 megapixel camera. That’s an improvement on all of the competition outside of the Samsung Sync, meaning any photos taken with the W810i are crisp and clear.
- Tech Highlights
- Networks: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 (Quad-Band)
- Bluetooth v2.0
- Messaging: IM, SMS, MMS, e-mail
- GPRS: Class 10, 32-48 kbps
What about the design?
Arguably, there are two major design types in the music phone world: the square n’ stumpy, and the thin n’ skinny. Examples of each abound in this guide, with the Nokia 5300 Xpress and Sony Ericsson falling under the "stocky" category, and the Sync and LG CU500 resembling phone versions of the average anorexic supermodel. Neither is a particularly bad approach, and in the case of the W810i, the design is small and very portable. The phone will fit in most small coat pockets, and may squeeze comfortably into the front pocket of your favorite skater jeans.
Finally, Sony improved the keypad design from its previous editions, making the buttons less depressed in the phone’s frame.
Cons?
Unfortunately, the call quality on the W810i is not as crystal clear as the music. Since we’re pretty sure anyone owning a music phone still uses it as a communicator first and songster second, that could be a significant issue for many potential buyers.
In addition, Bluetooth isn’t fully integrated here, meaning files must be transferred via USB.
Concluding thoughts
Sony has clearly placed music quality above design, but in doing so may have also de-prioritized the most fundamental use of a phone: the call.