The Sony Ericsson Walkman phone range isn't always very exciting, but the W580i has a few unexpected features that make it stand out from the crowd. It's also rather cheap relative to the rest of the range and worth checking out if you're on a budget.
It's currently available for free on a monthly contract from several major networks, or for around £120 on pay as you go.
Design
The W580i feels solid and looks like a quality product with some attractive details, such as the different coloured section surrounding the camera and keypad. Similar to the Sony Ericsson S500i, the W580i is a relatively slim slider phone with a curved section at the bottom. Our model came in a respectable grey and blue casing that attracted several glances at the pub.
Behind the sides of the W580i there are partially hidden LEDs that light up when you get a call or open the phone, and can be set to display different colours. It's rather a gimmick, but it does make it easier to tell when you're getting a call.
The W580i's screen isn't particularly large, but it's okay for viewing text messages and track information when you're using the Walkman feature. Safely protected behind the screen are the 2-megapixel camera at the back and keypad at the front.
We found the keypad a little on the flat side and we would have preferred it if the keys were a little more distinguishable from each other.
Features
Most of the features that you would expect on a
Walkman phone are found on the W580i, including the Walkman Player 2.0
software, support for MP3 and AAC files, stereo Bluetooth and an FM
radio.
In the box you get a 3.5mm adaptor so you can plug in your normal
headphones should you choose, but we'd
really like to see a built-in 3.5mm headphone jack so we could plug our
headphones straight in.
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---4444 18 September 2010
Comment: WHY THE SONY ERICSSON W580i IS GOOD FOR WRITERS
I am a writer and I own a Sony Ericsson W580i.
When I started writing, I was going to buy a smartphone as a writers tool, but then I realised that this phone is great as a writers tool itself.
Here are some points as to why it is so useful:
The Oxford English Dictionary - You can download this from PlayNow for just five pounds. Every writer needs a dictionary, so what is better than having one built into your phone to bring with you wherever you are.
Notes - Most phones have the capability of making notes, but this one is absolutely great. Whenever you think of a great idea, just make a note of it. You can even show your notes in standby so that you won't fforget them.
Record Sound - This little function is of great use to me. Whenever you've really got a great piece of information, or an excellent idea for a chapter, just go onto the Record Sound option and you can save your recording straight to your phone.
Walkman - Of course, the most popular function of the phone, so I won't bother talking you through it. All that I will say is that music is great for getting rid of writers block.
May I also recommend some of the Babies Names texts that you can send to Jamster. For me they are great for naming charecters.
Well I hope you found this useful. Thankyou very much.
laurads 28 March 2010
Good: Long lasting, Step counting genius.
Bad: The shake to change track - was hyped up for no reason.
Comment: I bought this phone on pay as you go in November 2007 when it was first popular, and considering that was some time ago, it is still working perfectly and doing everything as it did when I first bought it.
As with all phones, if you treat them roughly, they're not going to work, so if people have said they break easily, then they haven't treated it too well.
My W580i is Pink, and hot pink around the camera area, and I have had no faults, nor has part of the design affected how I have been able to use the phone.
The 2.0 MP camera is suprisingly good for it's size, and I have compared photos with friends phones, and photos that are of 5MP quality, don't seem to be as sharp as the walkman's. The small size of megapixels should not put you off.
The sound quality of calls does not distort or muffle any sounds, the speakerphone is around the same quality.
The phone is overall very effecient , with nice little features such as : The note recorder is handy for reminding yourself of things (rather than having an alarm type reminder), and they can be displayed on the wallpaper.
Another good feature is the step counter , which counts calories and can be set to running mode. This is , to me, one of the best features of the phone.
The shake to change track isn't too spectacular, seeing as you have to hold down the Walkman button at the same time , it is nothing different than just pressing the skip track button. Maybe it would've been a bit better if it was just a shaker. Plus this can be a pain when it changes your track accidentally if you're running with the fitness application.
The pre-installed games on the phone were not demo's which saves a lot of annoyance.
Attaching the W580i to the computer with the USB cable is quick and easy, so music, picture, video etc files can be easily transferred straight to the memory card, rather than going to the phone and having to be sent to the external memory seperately.
Overall I would say this phone is great for people that aren't too fussy with their gadgets, and want a durable easy-to-use phone, as it definitely doesn't go out of style or just stop working.
JC24 28 September 2009
Good: Fast, colorful, cool, easy to use
Bad: Sometimes can't fit in pocket, keys jam, whole phone freezes if you type too fast, middie navigator paint falls off quickly, key falls off if worn out much
Comment: The phone has a great overall feeling, easy to answer calls, good quality, but the speakers aren't as good as what I had expected. Can be a bit inconvenient if you have small pockets, but its still a great phone, despite being a bit pricey.
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