Sony Ericsson W800i Review - Conclusion
ConclusionSony Ericsson's w800i is a worthy update to the Walkman legacy started many years ago when portable cassette players were truly the state-of-the-art in mobile music. Packing a robust digital music player and snapshot-worthy camera into a cell phone the size of a large pack of gum is no small feat, and Sony's managed to accomplish this without sacrificing any of what matters most when it comes to music — sound quality. Music sounds great with the included in-ear headset, and upgrading to a premium set of phones — or connecting the w800i to a home or car stereo — will turn your phone into a custom audio system.
The w800i is not currently carried by T-Mobile, Cingular, or any other GSM carriers in the United States. However, the phone is widely available as an unlocked handset compatible with the above carrrier's networks.
It should be noted that Sony Ericsson recently announced a next-generation of Walkman phones including the flagship w950i, which according to SE's website will feature a touchscreen and 4GB of built-in flash memory. Another recently announced phone, the quad-band w300i, will be the first clamshell (flip phone) Walkman model and feature dual displays with music information viewable when the phone is closed.
Compare prices »Fetch me more...Quickly jump to more information about related topics, cell phones, carriers or phone manufacturers mentioned in this In-Depth Review by using the links below. Reviews by companyApple, BenQ, BlackBerry, Eten, HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, o2, Palm, Pantech, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony EricssonOur fancy algorithm says this stuff is related...The flagship model in Sony Ericsson's first-generation of Walkman-branded phones, the w800i combines a solid tri-band GSM phone with exceptional multimedia functionality including a full-featured music player and best-in-class two megapixel camera.
The fun-loving cousin of Sony's all-business K750i, the w800i is the music lover's mobile of choice, at least until the next generation of Walkman phones is released. The w800i is a candybar-style phone almost identical to the K750i in terms of dimensions and overall physical design. The phone is 1.8" w x 3.9" h x 0.8" d and 3.5 oz in weight, and is finished in white with orange and silver trim. In addition to the standard Sony Ericsson logos, the phone is branded with the Walkman logo on the front and along the left edge. Similar to the K750i, the w800i is a bit heavier in the hand than one... Like the identical one found on the K750o, the w800i's 2.0 Megapixel camera on the K750i is the best camera I've ever used on a phone, and one of the best available today. Head to head shootouts with Nokia's N90 set featuring its 2MP Carl Zeiss optics regularly give the K750i a slight edge in picture quality, and after a few snaps it was clear to me why. Taken in good lighting conditions, highest-quality photos from this handset are... Befitting of its designation in the "Walkman" line, the w800i's highlighted feature is its music player. This is the best music player I've yet to see in a cell phone, by far outdoing the much-maligned Motorola E1 ROKR and its watered-down version of Apple's iTunes software. The w800i's Walkman application supports mp3 and AAC audio files, and the included 512MB Memory Stick Duo card has room for a few albums' worth of songs with no... The 175x220, 262,000 color display on the w800i is absolutely excellent. At nearly 2" diagonal, the TFT screen is sharp, detailed, and a worthy compliment to the handset's stellar camera. As with almost all high-res phones, the Sony Ericsson's screen is somewhat difficult to read in direct sunlight and prone to fingerprints and smudges, but it's still a joy to use. The animated menus built in to the phone's UI are speedy and... Call quality on the w800i is quite good. A tri-band GMS phone, with 900/1800/1900 bands and high-speed GPRS functionality, the is marketed as a world phone, the lack of an 850 MHz band may be a drawback for some potential buyers. Those buyers can turn to the more recently released w810i, which is essentially the same handset with a quad-band and EDGE-capable radio in a slightly redesigned black housing.
The phone's...
|
|
About our reviewsMore than just the specs, our in-depth reviews are the closest thing to "Try before you buy"!  Subscribe to our reviews via RSS using this link to the XML feed
Or use your favorite online news reader Google, My Yahoo, My MSN, Bloglines, Netvibes, Newsgator
Latest cell phone reviews- BlackBerry 9000-BoldThe highly anticipated BlackBerry 9000 Bold has finally arrived and it just might have been worth
- BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220What’s Good: surprisingly music-friendly; external play/pause button; stereo bluetooth, standard
- Samsung Highnote M630-BlueSprint and Samsung are unleashing the specialists this season, and the Highnote's role is obvious.
- Samsung Rant BlackReplacing the Rumor as Sprint's primary texter, Rant is a messaging powerhouse. The keyboard feels
- HTC G1What’s Good: Android experience is excellent; Web browser is amongst best available on cell phones;
- Samsung i900-OmniaWhat’s Good: Universal landscape mode and universal landscape QWERTY; optically-enhanced action
- HTC Touch-DiamondWhat’s Good: Stunning hardware design and elegant software user interface; front panel is subdued,
- LG DareWhat’s Good: Attractive, highly customizable UI with home screen shortcuts; Compact design with
- Samsung Instinct-M800What’s Good: Supports every feature Sprint offers; EV-DO Rev. A data speeds; Good touchscreen
- LG enV2What’s Good: Sleeker and smaller than the original EnV. Comfortable QWERTY keyboard and QVGA
Latest cell phone videos- Xperia X1 UnboxingNoah can't even wait until he gets back to the office ... The Xperia X1 smartphone is unboxed at an
- BlackBerry Storm Day 1 ReviewTen hours with the Storm - Noah's update on typing on the clickable "SurePress" touchscreen. Is
- BlackBerry Storm Pt 2Part two of our first look at the first Touch BlackBerry - Verizon's Storm. Check out the Web
- BlackBerry Storm Pt 1Here it is! The much anticipated BlackBerry Storm. Noah takes it out of the box and checks out the
- Samsung Saga (Verizon)Noah goes hands-on with Verizon's new jet-setting global smartphone. The Samsung Saga has it all -
- Samsung Eternity a867Hands-on with what may be the best TV phone in AT&T's lineup - the Samsung Eternity. LG Vu, look
- Fuze v Touch Pro Pt 2Part 2 of our look at the new HTC Fuze for AT&T and HTC Touch Pro for Sprint. Check out the
- Fuze v Touch Pro Part 1Fuze? Touch Pro? What's the difference? Noah compares HTC's two new Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphones.
- Pantech Slate (AT&T) Need a low-cost phone with a full QWERTY and mobile Email, IM, and SMS support? The Slate is the
- Bold vs Touch Pro vs G1 - LiveIt's a smartphone showdown live on PhoneDog TV! BlackBerry Bold vs HTC Touch Pro vs T-Mobile G1 in
|
The Phonedog Days of Summer giveaway is coming to a close, but stay tuned for our new "Phonedog One-Paw Bandit Instant Winner Game", coming in November! We'll be giving away an iPhone in the very first week!
