Sony Ericsson W600i / W550i
Phone Scoop Review
Jan 18, 2006 by Eric Lin
In-depth review of the new Sony Ericsson W600 Walkman phone for Cingular. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
AWSOME PHONE!
I dont know what to say about this phone except WOW, I've read your complaints about the infamous "white out death" and i have no experience with that but i can say this phone is AMAZING, i dont understand all the complaints about expandable not having expandable memory, i currently have 38 songs and two 15 minute episodes of Sealab 2021 and still have 68 megabytes left of memory.
for everyone who is reading these reviews notice there are no complaints about the reception or the call clarity, THIS IS A PHONE!!! its primary use is to TALK TO PEOPLE, its secondary uses are 3D games and MP3 player! if your really that upset about the memory go buy an IPOD... but ipods dont have speaker phone so all your friends can enjoy it with you. and a great camera that is way better than the one the SLVR offers!
edge Internet access download new songs at amazing speeds!
PROS
- IT HAS A FLASHLIGHT! and a flash feature for the camera!
-3 seperate speakers for AWSOME STEREO SOUND (without a headset)
- BLUE TOOTH= send/recieve songs/video free from other blue tooth phones!
-EDGE internet speeds
-very durable i dropped it down the stairs on my way out of the dorm and never skipped a second of music on the way down!
- to many to name
-GREAT SIGNAL AND CALL QUALITY!
Cons
- STILL THINKING!
w600i from Cingular
I purchased this phone because I did a return on a Motorola mpx220 (not a very stable phone) and it just so happened that the sales guy had brought the w600i's in that morning (Cingular corporate store in L.A.). I didn't even know they were going to be carrying those. The final price is $300 with a $100 mail-in rebate making the final price - $200 - not bad considering I returned the mpx220 which cost $250 and didn't work nearly as well.
My first impressions: The phone is very cool to look at it but all things considered a little on the bulky side but when I compared the mpx220 to the w660i i noticed they are pretty similar in size. I really hesitated because the screen seemed really small compared to most phones I have had but I figured it had the 262K colors which was an improvement over the mpx220 - anyways - here are my pros and cons . . .
PROS - Loud ringers, voice dialing works well, customizable themes (can download software to create your own if you are into that), overall pretty easy to figure out the navigation if you play for awhile, camera works well, flashy phone with the orange (Cingular includes a bluish/gray faceplate as well), radio works great, stereo speakers are awesome and really sound good and the walkman interface is similar to the ipod so easy to get used to, etc. etc.
CONS - wish the screen was bigger and brighter but it's okay - still looks good, sometimes the ear volume is perfect and sometimes seems a little low (could be the other user - will keep monitoring), the orange color of the lights and keypad seem a little cheesy to me but others may like it - I really like silver or metal-like keypads this one is kind of rubbery but I don't have a problem texting, would rather a slider than a swivel - may just need to get used to it.
Overall, I recommend this phone - and trust me I am VERY picky - I have returned many a phone - and I plan on keeping this one for a "little" while!!!
Awsome!! Sumetimes
I am currently on my 4th W600i from cingular and it just gave me the WSOD (white screen of death). I had this last one 2 days before it quit. I didn't even upload my address book or anything to make sure it wasn't something I was doing. It's not!!! It's too bad because it is a great phone when it works!?!?!?
W600i, Now That's What I'm Talking About
Ok I'm a Techie, but I want a phone that is a phone first. Anything beyond that is gravy.
I had to turn in my Cingular 8125 due to its size, battery life, being married to the stylus and the phone being an afterthought on that unit. a week was all I could stand.
When I turned in that phone the counter person couldn't believe it till I showed him some of my gripes.
Then he produced the Sony Ericsson W600i. I was either going to try this phone or go back to my old Nokia 6230. I'm am very happy I took the chance on the W600i. This is a great phone first. Nice compact size and low weight. Controls are intuitive when coming from the Nokia platform. Great reception and call clarity in areas that my 6230 and the 8125 both suffered. Easy navigation through contacts, unlike the 8125. Lots of themes, tones and aplications available. Came with everything needed to utilize all it's boneses right out of the box. Included dark face plate option, Hands free headset, USB cable and software for computer comm, bluetooth, Irda. I wasn't sure about the Jacknife face thing but after a day with it I think it is better by far than a clamshell. You can do 85% of any functions without even opening the keypad.
Bonuses like a very good 1.3 MP camera that has reasonably good video capability too. A great sounding Walkman MP3 player that will hold about 3-4 CDs worth of music still leaving room for on the go pictures and video. Built in radio tuner. Some standard applications like the MusicDJ, PhotoDJ and VideoDJ are very cool things that you would normally have to use a computer for that even the 8125 didn't have.
The only complaint I have goes to every other phone I've ever owned, that is the propriatary connector interface. Why isn't this ISO standardized? Come on industry heads, sort this out.
Pros:
Size and weight
Intuitive Phone Interface
Excelent Camera and Video capable
Walkman MP3 player
Connectivity
Included accessories.
Cons:
Propriatary connector.
screen going white & no functions
Purchased 5-21 on-line thru Cingular.
6-18 had on charger overnight went to use screen blank. Tried to find at local dealer out of stock.
Replaced phone thru cingular on 6-26. 7-9 installing songs and screen went blank and no functions.
on-line and called cingular out of stock again.
Has anyone had similar problems with the W600i?
Also had battery drain problems wouldn't last 2 days even after shutting down at night.
Has anyone had this problem?
considering changing to different phone.
Is the Samsung d807 any good??
So far so good
Just got this the other day after exchanging my Razr. So far I really like this phone.
Build quality is top notch, reception is very very good (better than the Razr was for sure!), excellent UI, nice sound quality on the earpiece, tons of features(radio, mp3 player, games, flashlight, etc) unique design, great screen, and good size (small but not too small).
My complaints so far are that the Speakerphone volume seems a bit on the quiet side even on the loudest setting (though the model at the Cingular store seemed louder so maybe it's something just with mine?), the keypad will still autolock when swiveled open (minor complaint), Camera quality despite being 1.3mp is downright poor (tons of noise in pics. Other than the increased resolution, the Razr had a better camera), and the charging port seems a bit on the fragile side (not a very good design).
In the end the pros outweigh the cons and I definitely reccomend this phone to people looking for a phone that can do alot and is a little different than the average phone out there today.
great phone
overall my experience with this phone has been fantastic. this phone has great battery life, it pulls a great signal and has all the features that i could want in a phone. the only things i can complain about it that the memory is not expandable and the bluetooth has worn down so that when i am connected to my headset there is a lot of static when i put the phone in my pocket compared to holding the phone outside of my pocket. other then those to cons i really like this phone and recommend it to everyone who wants the luxury of having a great performing phone that has an mp3 player and a 1+ megapixel camera.
AMAZING
This phone is amazing! All of my friends think it is the coolest thing. I got my phone unlocked and I can still download music and everything!
PROS-
*It is a bright unique color.
*Holds up to 30 songs on the MP3 and you can use the phone for other things while the music is still playing.
*Downloading media onto the phone is super easy.
*Speakers are loud and clear.
*Screen is very clear.
*Its a cool swivel phone.
*Has great battery life.
*Camera is just like a digital camera, and takes great photos and videos!
CONS-
None that I can find.=)
AMAZING PHONE-HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!!!!
WOW
This phone is so impressive!!! I was at the Cingular store today and was going to upgrade from my Motorola v220 and I was desperate for any phone. The salesperson was extremely helpful and recommended this phone, so I bought it and WOW I will never regret this decision!!!
Pros
*An awesome look to it! It's very stylish and you can change covers!
*EXCELLENT CAMERA (havent tried video yet but im sure its awesome!)
*You get used to the buttons very easily :D
*Calls are crystal clear
*Ringers are LOUD so you can actually hear them if you are in a busy, crowded place!
*LIGHTWEIGHT
*Cool swivel design!
Cons
*The only con is that you have to have the phone closed in order to use the camera but hey i dont care, its an awesome phone already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The camera quality makes up for it!
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PHONE OVER ANYTHING ELSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sincerely incredible EXCEPT FOR....
I'm fortunate to have been given this phone as a replacement for my water-damaged ( and warrantied) prior phone with Cingular, my beloved S710. This orange beauty in a word, is incredible.
HOWEVER....
I've now owned THREE W600i units!
The first died three days after owning it. It suffered the 'White Screen Of Death'; at apparently any time this phone can die completely, save for the dead white LCD screen that cannot be turned off.
I've read this is sometimes due to USB-to-computer-usage or downloads from the net via wireless transfer. I believe this first w600i died from heavy USB usage of transferring music and wallpaper files.
The second unit I had lasted from December 'till April 5th (it suicidally killed itself simply because I turned it on after a night of charging!!!)..and now, my third and hopefully final replacement unit is here with me now. Cingular has a one year warranty policy, which is incredible, and they do tell you that the replaced unit will be reconditioned, but the second and third W600i's have been factory fresh. Thanks Cingular!!!!
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PROS:
Better texting capability and format than Motorola phones
Native AIM, ICQ and Yahoo! Messenger (one at a time, unfortunately.)
Pack-in ear-buds are excellent Sony quality..use them for calls, .MP3 playback and radio... (Using with calls offers no problems)
Battery life is superb; even with heavy net usage and texting/ message services, expect to charge every other day
Calls are crystal clear. Don't use this in a mall! The person you've called will hear ALL ambient noise; it's that sensitive!
Strong, healthy 'Vibrate'
MP3 text message alerts
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CONS:
White Screen Of Death could invariably happen at any time.. I suggest not turning off the phone (yes, ever) and only doing light USB usage at a time.
Don't use cell carriers or pouches with magnetic clasps with the W600i. The magnets will unlock the phone buttons!
No removable memory card option
