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
Love it
This is the best over all phone I have ever had. If you like music this phone provides crystal clear sound. Almost like your listening straight to a radio. Great signal in the St. Louis area.
Also pretty slick looking phone.
bad experience with this phone
When I first got this cell phone I was beyond excited. When I got it worked great. The next day it malfunctioned. Then I got a replacement, then it malfunctioned again. Then, I got another one, it worked great, but as soon as 2 days passed, the screws that held the screen to other part of the phone loosened up and the screen separated from the other part of the phone. So now 1 phone became 2. So proves to show, the program on the Phone sucked, and proves that its isn't sturdy at all. Two thumbs down! btw; memory and camera SUCKS!
One of the best phones I have ever owned
I purchased this phone the first day it came out with my current carrier. I have only had one problem with the phone which I believe everyone experiences which is the WSOD (white screen of Death). I contacted Sony Ericsson and they advised me to send my phone to them with the warranty and they would repair it. I got my phone back in 6 days from the day I sent it and it was working better than ever. The camera is phenomenal and the memory is awesome. I use the camera on my phone for everything and the pictures are so very clear. I hate that these phones are no longer being sold because I honestly would purchase another just to have a back up when this one goes kaput! I hope that will be a long time from now and from the way it is working, I feel it will be a while.
1 of the best & greatest!
kudos to sony ericsson for another great phone like the w550i! my older brother gave one to me for my birthday and i love it! i love creating movie-like videos with the VideoDJ software as well taking crystal clear pictures with its 1.3 mp camera! i love listening to music also that's why i love this walkman phone which has the best quality sound ever, considering its a mobile phone. my officemate (who has a Motorola Razr V3X) wanted to see who has the better phone when it comes to MP3. i didn't mean to brag but i just confidently shrugged my shoulders on the matter. HE ADMITTED my w550i got the best sound in terms of clarity and volume of sound compared to his Razr!
there are so many great things about this phone! You can do so much with this phone! And by the way, there was a time when i received a virus. I couldnt use the phone but the Walkman software of the w550i is still kicking and never got affected with the virus!!! Anyway, i went to the Sony Ericsson shop to have its software upgraded and --- VOILA! i can use my phone again and the virus is gone for good! You wont get dissapointed with the w550i and actually, my brother and i have been huge fans of SE cuz their phones are durable as well! Very classy and hip, too! You can try out other walkman phones or any phone under SE and u wont get dissapointed! It's really worth the money! I just rated this phone 4.5 because it doesnt have an expandable memory, though but its ok cuz it has an internal 256 MB memory anyway.
Great phone, but I have had some quality issues.
The W600i is easily the best phone I've ever owned. I spent years buying Motorolas and dealing with their extremely un-intuitive user interface. The UI on the W600 was like a breath of fresh air. Everything just makes sense.
Pros:
Awesome screen
Easy to use menus
Tons of free content available from SE's website
LOUD ringers
Great built-in stereo speakers
Media player is great
FM Radio with RDS
You can use your MP3s as ringtones!
Text messaging is easy
Cons:
A bit bulky
Bluetooth connectivity (read review for details)
Swivel takes a bit of getting used to
USB connectivity can be a pain
Like I said, this is the best phone I've ever owned. That being said, let me explain some of the problems I've had.
Bluetooth connectivity is awesome when it works. I am going on my FOURTH W600 because of weak connections with my SE bluetooth headset. If the phone was any further than 2' away from the headset, the static was unbearable. I could not have the phone in my pocket and use a bluetooth headset. It would not stay paired. I thought the headset was the issue, but I paired it to a firend's RAZR and it worked flawlessly. On every occasion, however, SE gladly replaced the phone.
One thing worth mentioning is that if you deal with SonyEricsson directly for warranty work, they are awesome. Very friendly and helpful. Best thing is, with each new phone, you reset the clock on your warranty. This was a pleasant surprise.
As mentioned in 'Pros' there is a wealth of free content on SE's website. Content ranging from simple graphics to new themes' ringtones, sounds, and seasonal stuff as well. They also offer totally free applications such as Google Maps, the Opera mini browser, games and a whole lot more.
If you are switching from a Motorola or another manufacturer, it is a bit different at first. Differences in text messaging will take a bit to get used to, but once you have a grasp of the user interface, you'll never want to let it go.
bad buy
I bought the phone based on recommendations from this site, so I owe it to everyone here to tell them how much I've hated this phone.
○ Pros: FM Radio, Music Player 256MB, Great speakers, Bluetooth connection to PC is very useful since flimsy USB cable plastic connection broke in the first month of usage
Cool landscape gaming interface
I always get compliments on the phone looks
Cons (Read On):
Power Adaptor/ear piece Connection issues: Cannot easily attach the power cord adaptor to phone in the dark. After a few months of usage, phone often cannot charge unless you rub the connector the right way.
Connection on bottom is flimsy and breaks after normal usage. Every time the headset piece is connected the phone thinks I'm trying to voice dial someone.
Speed dialing: Cannot speed dial when phone is in closed mode, must swivel it open to speed dial. To speed dial you must press the number then press call, very inconvenient.
UI very un-intuitive:
pushing the "Busy" button to stop the phone from ringing does not dismiss the missed call icon.
Cannot exit apps and return to main screen with a single button push, must push and hold on back button.
Still can't figure out how to turn off the increasing volume in the Alarm signal. This highlights the confusing UI, never had that issue with my NOKIA phones.
Date is not available on the screen saver.
Other issues:
Cannot have a different ringtone for each profile!!!! This means you can only use the single ringtone for loud and quiet modes!! What if I need a beep in quiet mode?
Does not have a "beep once" ringtone.
No Send/End button
No external button to turn speaker on during a phone call, must go through menu to turn speaker on during a call.
Very bulky phone
Camera only 1.3 MP
You have to jam the headphones in ears to keep them from falling out
Sony Ericsson Carrier FOR LIFE!
This was the greatest phone I have owned so far. It has a really cool sleek design with the swivel open. The walkman features were great and very easy to use with your computer. The menu is very easy to navigate through and picked up signals great. I drove from MO to FL and lost signal maybe twice. I am planning on purchasing the Sony Ericsson w710 in the near future. I recently dropped my w600 in my glass of water! (OOPS!) I would take a sony ericsson over a motorola ANY day! All in all a superb phone.
Great little Phone Very Cool!!!!!
The loudest phone I know. Easy to use and to open, very easy to rip songs on the phone, the software works great. The camera is okay but a bit dim. Plenty of internal memory for listening to songs. One thing is that the phone is very sound sensitive it picks up all background noise, not to good in a car with the windows down. Speaker phone works good also. Its a keeper.
