Sony Ericsson W580i - Martin's Quick Review

Recently released onto the market, the W580i is no exception to Sony Ericsson’s recent history of creating quality mobile phones that seamlessly integrate phone functionality with entertainment features.

The W580i is a stylish slider phone, available in urban grey or white and weighs in at just 94 grams. Closed, the phone measures 99mm x 47mm x 14mm. The bottom of the handset is tilted slightly upward, meaning that sliding the phone open is easy. A large 262K colour screen is visible whether the phone is open or closed, and colours are faithfully and vibrantly displayed on it. A central navigation button is located on the front casing, allowing users to externally navigate phone and music controls whilst the phone is closed. The numeric keypad is revealed when the phone is slid open, and the keys are large, well back-lit and easy to use.

As with others in the Sony stable, the W580i includes a more-than-adequate digital camera. The phone has a 2 megapixel camera with 4 x digital zoom, autofocus and flash, with dedicated camera and video menus. Images are clear, crisp and colours are faithfully captured. With video streaming and picture blogging capabilities, you can easily share your stored photos with friends and family.
The W580i is part of Sony Ericsson’s Walkman range and offers buyers excellent storage capacity, sound quality and supporting software.

Although the phone has only 12MB of internal memory, it utilises microSD cards, meaning that users can easily upsize their storage capacity. The file architecture of the Walkman is easy to navigate and you can search your music library by album or artist. Sony’s proprietary programs such as TrackID, PlayNow and MusicDJ contribute to the listening experience and the included stereo headphones offer exceptional sound quality. The phone also includes an in-built FM radio.

Business users are not neglected by the Sony Ericsson W580i, which includes a range of connectivity options. USB, EDGE, BlueTooth and GPRS are all supported, and it is also possible to use the phone as a modem. With the option to run the phone in flight-mode, business travellers can access their email and browse the internet using the Access NetFront browser. RSS feeds are also accessible, so you can stay in touch with important updates.

The Sony Ericsson W580i is a phone that you’re going to want to use all the time – which isn’t a problem, as battery life is respectable. With nine hours of talk time and 370 hours of standby, you won’t need to use the included charger as often as you’d need to with other comparably-featured phones.

Whether you use your phone as a fashion statement, to keep in touch with the office or for entertainment, the Sony Ericsson W580i delivers an attractive package.

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