Though only 2” in size, the w580i’s display is big, bold, and bright - unless it’s in direct sunlight. Capable of QVGA (320 x 240) resolution at 262,000 colors, the 580’s screen generally looks very good - all the more so because the phone’s user interface is such a pleasure to work with. While confusing menus and hidden features are common complaints in the world of mobile phones, SE’s UI is refined and mature - both intuitive to use and easy on the eyes.
Icons, images, and videos all looked very nice on the w580i, and the included themes show off the phone’s capacity for displaying animated backgrounds. The newest version of SE’s Walkman music player displays album art on the w580, and video files can be downloaded from the Internet or loaded onto an M2 memory stick card for playback on the handset as well.
Using the phone in bright, direct sunlight did prove to be a bit troublesome - perhaps just a bit more so than to be expected on a phone of this caliber. Just to be sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me, I asked my wife if she’s had any trouble seeing the screen on her unlocked w580i. She furrowed her brow for a second and replied, “Yeah, just a little sometimes when I’m outside.”
I tested the quad-band GSM w580i on AT&T’s network in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, and my wife and I also tested the unlocked w850i on T-Mobile’s network in the same general locations. While I ran into a few problems with interference and dropped calls on the AT&T version of the phone, we had no such issues with the unlocked version on T-Mobile. So I’m pretty sure any calling problems I encountered were caused by AT&T’s network and not Sony Ericsson’s handset.
Audio quality during phone calls either good or riddled with problems. Again, the problems seemed to stem from AT&T network coverage in specific locations (and at specific times), and not with the w580i. When signals were solid, the handset was plenty loud and voices came through clearly with minimal interference on either end. When problems occurred, I experienced everything from static and interference noise in the background to repeated call dropping. The noise problems occurred whether I was using the earpiece, built-in speakerphone, wired headset or a wireless Bluetooth headset during calls.
Sony Ericsson included a Walkman music adapter and stereo canalphones in the w580i’s packaging. The adapter snaps into the handset’s accessory port and features a 3.5mm stereo audio jack with an integrated microphone and single button for answering calls. You can use the included earphones with the adapter, or connect your own ‘phones - while I’d prefer the headphone jack to have been built into the handset itself, at least SE includes an adapter (and better than average earphones) so you can use the Walkman features straight out of the box. With a good pair of earphones and some tweaks to the EQ settings, the w580i sounds as good as most portable media players when playing back music.
The w580i’s built-in speaker is also quite loud. Music, ringtones, and calls on speakerphone all rang out noticeably louder than they do on most handsets I’ve reviewed recently. Stereo Bluetooth is also supported by the w580i, and music can be played and controlled via AD2P-compatible wireless headsets. Certain SE Walkman-line Bluetooth headsets also support caller ID and music library browsing on the w580i via remote displays.
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4.7
