How is it like using internet, music, camera and mobile with a same handset? Well, Sony Ericsson W580i provides that flexibility to its core. Loaded with powerful speakers and 3G technology, this mobile handset might well give the ipods and walkmans a run for their money.
Launched in July 2007 and priced at $299, it is one of the “Walkman Mobile” series of Samsung.
Measuring in at 3.89 x 1.85 x 0.55 inches, the W580i feels just the right size in hand. Coloring is pretty attractive with the model being available in 4 colors: Urban Grey, Metro Pink, Style White and Boulevard Black.
The Sony Ericsson W580i is a quad band GSM world phone that works anywhere in the world where GSM service is available and can operate on 850/900/1800/1900 MHz bands. The sound quality through the included stereo earbud headphones is superb and if you turn on the MegaBass boost feature in the Walkman player, the phone outputs full and powerful sound that booms. The W580i also has support for A2DP which allows the phone to play music via Bluetooth to stereo headphones.
Sony Ericsson W580i’s 2.0 megapixel camera doesn’t disappoint for the price. It’s a good performer in its class and takes very sharp photos with good color balance and saturation. Videos can also be recorded and video calls can also be done with the help of 3G network.
The model comes with a Sony Ericsson standard rechargeable Li-Polymer battery that’s 930mAh in capacity. The battery is user replaceable. The claimed talk time is 9 hours and the official standby time is over 15 days. But usually around 5 ½ hours of talk time and a week’s standby time are available. The music playback time is 20 hours which is right on target compared to what is received.
Grey areas are by far very few in number with this model. The only thing that might take some time to set up is the voice control since it uses voice tags rather than true speech recognition. The voice control works with hands free solutions including headsets and car kits. Since the camera does not have built-in flash, night shots become bit disappointing.
The key features of this model which differentiate it from its peer group are its attractive color, booming music system, good battery life and an affordable price.