Sony Ericsson W880i review

What is it: A very slim Walkman phone that will store around 240 of your favourite MP3s

What we think: It's a very attractive phone with a great music player, but it's let down by its small, fiddly keypad

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7.4

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Sony Ericsson W880i Review

Reviewed by: Andrew Lim

Reviewed on: 23 February 2007

The W880i Walkman phone is Sony Ericsson's thinnest phone to date and is also one of the slimmest 3G handsets we've seen so far. Similar to Samsung's X820, the W880i slips into practically any pocket and at 71g it certainly won't weigh you down.

This music mobile comes with a 1GB memory card that will let you store up to 240 MP3 tracks. There's also a 2-megapixel camera on the back and a secondary VGA camera on the front for video calling. The W880i is currently available for free on a monthly contract or for about £330 SIM-free. If the keys weren't so tricky to use, we'd recommend it in a heartbeat.

Design
Thin is definitely in and Sony Ericsson has finally created a product that can combat the likes of Motorola and Samsung's ultra-slim offerings. Coming in at 9.4mm thick and weighing a mere 71g, the W880i is almost unnoticeable when stuffed in a bag or down a trouser pocket.

The W880i is thinner than the spine of a CD case

Unlike some thin phones, the W880i doesn't feel like it's on the verge of snapping, thanks to its sturdy build quality.

The W880i comes in two different colour combinations. Our black and orange review model has a matte metallic finish on the front and a rear made from plastic that feels like rubber. You can also buy one with a funky stainless steel-like finish.

The screen, keypad and camera layout is similar to most of Sony Ericsson's other candybar phones, but there are some notable differences. The screen, although it's bright and sharp, is on the small side, and the 2-megapixel camera on the back doesn't have an LED photo light or portrait mirror.

The most significant annoyance, however, is the keypad. The number and letter keys on the keypad are very difficult to press as they are little bigger than grains of rice and are far too close together. The four-way navigation key is also small, so it's easy to press the wrong part of the button.

The W880i's navigation key and keypad are small and fiddly to use

While some of the design constraints are unavoidable due to the W880i's size, the small keypad is a serious problem that could have been fixed with larger buttons. We also wonder if the screen could have been made a little larger, but overall it's the tiny keys that really let the W880i down.