Music can be stored on up to a 2GB Memory Stick Micro card that will hold around 500 songs, but you only get a 512MB card in the box, which holds about 125 songs. If you want to carry around more music you'll need to buy a bigger card.
A new feature that hasn't been seen on a Walkman phone before is a built-in pedometer that can be set to count your steps while walking and running, and also lets you know how far you've travelled and your average speed.
At first it seems like a strange addition, particularly because the pedometer is turned on by default and starts counting your steps as soon as you start walking. However, it ends up being quite useful for anyone who enjoys walking and running and wants to track their progress.
Another strange feature we didn't totally understand is the ability to shuffle music by holding down the Walkman key and shaking the W580i. We're not sure why you can't just press a button to shuffle tracks.
As for the rest of the phone, it's pretty much business as usual. There's a Web browser, Java games, calendar and a 2-megapixel camera that doesn't feature autofocus or a flash. Then again, this isn't a particularly expensive handset, so we wouldn't expect top-of-the-line camera features.
Performance
Audio quality during calls was good and we
didn't notice any noticeable distortion or muffling during calls. The
quality on speakerphone mode was equally good and relatively loud.
Audio quality from the Walkman Player was acceptable, although the bass sounded a little less deep than we would have liked and the high end wasn't as crisp as you might expect on a specialist music phone like this.
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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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