One of our pet peeves about the W880i was that its 2-megapixel camera wasn't fantastic. We're glad to see a better, 3.2-megapixel snapper on the W890i. Sadly, this upgraded camera still doesn't have a flash or LED photo light, so shots in low light don't come out well.
Still, what does work and is one of the most compelling reasons to buy the W890i is HSDPA (3.5G). Unlike the W880i that only had 3G, the W890i can surf the Web at a much faster speed than on EDGE or 3G-only phones.
Having downloaded an array of apps, including Google Maps for mobiles and Opera Mini 4, we were doing our Internet thing in no time at all. Our only word of advice is to keep an eye out on what data charges you're on. We recommend that if you love the Internet then go for a flat-rate data tariff.
Performance
Audio during calls is loud and clear without any noticeable distortions or muffling during calls. You're not going to get great sound quality from the loudspeaker when using it to listen to music, but it's alright. We're pleased to report that audio quality from the MP3 player using the provided headphones is good enough to replace your standalone music device, which is arguably the main selling point of a Sony Ericsson Walkman phone.
Its camera, however, isn't substantial enough to replace your dedicated snapper. Without a flash or LED photo light, your best bet would be to stick to daylight pictures. There's not an autofocus option either so close-up shots aren't clear.
The battery life is good, lasting for over two days with moderate to high use before needing recharge. Obviously, you'll use up more battery power if you use HSDPA and have a pair of stereo Bluetooth headphones connected to it on a regular basis.
Conclusion
The Sony Ericsson W890i will go down in the mobile phone history books as one of Sony Ericsson's best handsets ever. The combination of solid features with a solid, slim casing works a real treat.
Certainly, the W890i has its flaws -- the camera isn't perfect and could certainly do with a flash, and it would be good if the phone had Wi-Fi. For what it is, though, the handset performs really well. If you're after a more business-centric phone then there's the similarly featured Nokia E51. As Walkman phones go, we dare say this is the best one yet.
Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday
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User reviews8
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Emma Fawn 12 April 2011
Good: the memory
Bad: switches itself off all the time n takes ages to come back on
Comment: if it wasnt for the fact that it switches itself off even when you in the middle of a call this fone would be great, ive had it for a couple of yrs now and its really getting on my nerves
james_dickson83 25 March 2011
Good: Good MP3 player, the basic functions you would expect of any mid-range phone
Bad: Poor software means everything runs slowly, relentlessly switches itself off and on,
Comment: After having this for a 2 year contract I'm seriously annoyed with it's lackluster performance. At the time of buying, I had noted in others reviews that this phone is liable to take on a mind of it's own and will turn itself on and off again and I ignored those comments at my peril. A phone is useless if you can't control it as and when you want as it turns itself off and on again virtually everyday of it's life. As such, this phone is uselss and not even eligible for any software updates, and I'm assuming it's the software that is at fault here.
This fault aside, the software is clearly not up to scratch, as any task undertaken on it's own (without any other features running) causes the phone to slow up. It's like internet in the '90's. Just dont bother with it.
I can get £8 if I recycle it. Alternatively, I can vent 2 years frustration by relentlessly kicking it and smashing it into tiny, little, even more useless pieces. I'm currently inclined toward the latter.
Ady1968 4 July 2009
Good: Menus
Bad: Everything
Comment: This has been the worst piece to technology I have come across.It kept switching itself off, dropped calls in good signal areas, the camera refused to work when asked and would switch itself on in your pocket with the keys locked, I couldn't get my music library on iTunes to work as it wouldn't work with my iMac, so I had to resort to using Bluetooth as if I used a card reader and export to the card, the phone refused to open any files, what a pain. Also it kept locking up so I tried to install the firmware update, but all that did was for it to lock up and refused to switch off and I had to remove the battery and after that it took an age to boot up again and it still wouldn't work properly and I had a repeat of the above !! I Plus points - the menus were quite good when it worked. I have a W810i and I don't rate that much either, but at least it doesn't crash as often. Summary - simply awful.
See all 8 user reviews