Sony Ericsson W300 / Z530
Average Ratings
Phone is decent, but not all that
I switched to Cingular from T-Mobile recently to get a family plan with free phones. I really liked T-mobile (had been with them for 3 yrs), but their coverage is about nothing where my distant fiancee lives. So I got this W300i for free from Amazon.com because it was what I thought was the best of the free phones available. However, even before I ordered the phone, I knew I was going to keep my current Motorola V330 and just sell the Ericsson on Ebay. When I got the phone, I went ahead and tested it out. Here's a bit of what I noticed:
pros:
- cool colors (the orange on black makes an impression
- good flip hinge (easy enough to open with your thumb but tough enough so that it's not too flimsy)
- Plays every type of MP3 i can throw at it (regular & VBR up to 320kbps)
- Doesn't require iTunes :)
- Fast menus (unlike my V330)
- USB 2.0 & bluetooth 2.0 are nice and speedy
- Stereo music through my own headphones was enjoyable
cons:
- small outer and inner displays, but outer display is easy to read due to the contrast of colors
- Phone is way too light (and a bit small for my taste). I felt like if I dropped it 1 or 2 times, it's a goner.
- Orange Walkman buttons are too small & sunk into the phone. I have to use my fingernail to press them!
- Camera is subpar
- MP3 play would sometimes lockup and make a loud noise until I restarted play
- Included headphone earbuds are awful
- No USB cable (and mine didn't come with any mem card)
- Menu navigation not as easy as my V330
- You have to 'snap-in' the phone to a desktop stand charger rather than sit it on one (like V330)
Anyways, these are just a few things I noticed while messing with it. Just as I though, I wanted to stay with my V330 though. Bells 'n whistles are nice, but if the phone can't be user-friendly at the same time, it just becomes annoying.
I actually love a cell phone
I've never said I love a new cell phone, but I love this one. It looks cool, MP3 player is a lot of fun and it's just a good phone with everything on it. I've had a lot of luck with SonyEricsson and I'm convinced they are the best cell phone manufactuer.
Pros:
MP3
Bluetooth
Infared
Cons:
Can't make MP3's ringtones
Number pad is small and weird
Other than that, it's great. I don't think anyone would regret buying this phone.
EXCELLENT!!!
anyone considering buying this phone? GET IT! I have nothing bad to say about the w300i. I discover new things that this phone does everyday! I would rate it higher if I could. GREAT JOB SE
Great Phone!
I have owned dozens of phones have many kids I have on my accounts. I have been a die hard nokia fan because of clarity and signal strength along with battery life, and ease of use. I owned a 6230b and used it for business. I travel 5 days a week and need a phone to be a phone first and formost. Of course since I travel the other options come in very handy. Sony Ericsson has changed my opinion and I find the W300i and W810i the two best phones I have ever owned. My nokia was washed and I bought a sync A707, you can read my review on it. I traded it in on the W800i but in the mean time recieve the W300i as a warranty replacement to the nokia 6230. I have been a bar phone person for over a decade but the W300i, it has sold me on the flip...
even though the phone doesnt come with the usb cable and memory stick which is hard to come by and proprietary. I could find nothing wrong with this phone. ( it did come with the W810i although)
It has GREAT battery life
Ok Camera
Rugged, and reception is Great!
Easy to use keys, even though designed a little different, they are very functional and easy to see, with a great layout.
The mp3 player is great as well and easy to use, both closed or open.
Didnt like the ringers but havent found a phone that I really do. Also couldnt get mp3s to work as ringers.. as of yet. This is just personal choice and doesnt take away from phone.
all in all it is one of the best phones for the price, I have owned. The only one I like better is the W810i, just havent figured out every thing it has on it, (so many options!)
This Phone is More than you can ask
Sony Ericsson used to have phone like this with a lot features. Is you use your phone only to talk, then bye a Motorola, but when you want a phone that you can do almost everything with it, then Sony Ericsson is your choice. Full bluetooth usage, full web browsing and this box include all cables you need to make your life easier (never in Motorola or other band).
You can preset FM stations, hear a lot MP3 due 256MB memory card include. A lot voice features. Compact. Beautiful, Excellent Battery life and a price to dream.
The best choice you can do if you use 50% of the features. Otherwise, if you use it only to talk, you are underestimating this phone.
It was good, but I want better.
I had this phone for about a week. Peep the pros and cons.
Pros:
Not too skinny, nor too big.
FM Radio
Excellent Volume
Unlocked Bluetooth(which is a big deal to me since I also have Verizon)
Cons:
Finding the memory stick, and paying for it, was a bitch! (It requires an M2 memory stick)
Fuzzy Camera/Video (My Z520 is better when it comes to that; hell, so is my Treo 650).
Mp3 player only accepts certain formats (which is why I got a Red Razr)
Reception at home isn't too good..
The outright price of $249.99 (I could go online and find better Sony Ericsson phones for cheaper and with Twice the features as well).
Bottom line: If basic phones or phones solely for calls & tunes are your niche, then go for it. If you're a camera/video person like me, dig the k750 or the w810 sony ericsson phones, or a KRZR or even an EnV; as they have 2MP; even the VX8300 and VX8600, which are 1.3 mp, are pretty cool. Peace!
okay...
this review is from a design point of view..and some features too..
design-wise, it's okay.... i didn't love the chrome black outer shell and then the inside cheapish, whitish color... it really cheapened the phone... the orange toggle and the "w" sign makes it look sophisticated.. and regarding about the "fish scale" keypad, yes, it is hard to use at first, but it looks very nice....and also, you'll get bored by the shape, kind f bulky, and not nearly provocative as the swivel design (see w600i)
feature-wise, it is very ample for a fair-priced phone... mp3 player seem nice, but you have to go through the trouble of getting it a memory card by se to give it more space for music....and that was not appealing for me.... and also, i liked that it has bluetooth and all that tech stuff, it's user friendly and has a good solid feel...
bottom line, if you're a fashionista and want a rather cheaper phone that you can strut, the w300i is th phone for you...
p.s. do not hate the rzr, it is the bold thin design, that gave the mobile phones a place in the limelight.... i wish the w300i was more like the rzr, design wise.. but for now, it is fine..
MUSIC ON THE GO, GO
Aside from the ugly square shape of this phone, it's pretty attractive -- I bought mine before it hit Cingular stores so I got the white edition. I'd get compliments and asked what kind of phone it was from random people.
Now, the main reason I bought this phone was for the Mp3 Player. It's the first I've bought with this function and as far as I'm concerned it's a great feature but falls a little short; my original intention was to use it dually as a sort of IPOD+phone but even with 256MB it was disappointing. I put about four albums and took a few pics+ two videos and it was already full. I guess for some people that's enough but for the young, tech-savvy generation I think not. However, I was really really impressed by the volume of the player and ringers; I could play it in the backroom @ work and EVERYONE could here it -- my coworkers thought it was the sound system (overhead) playing!
PROS:
+ Awesome battery life (with moderate usage I charged every 3-4 days | heavy usage about every 2)
+ Loud ringers/mp3 player
+ Loud speakerphone
+ Customizeable faceplates
+ Very lightweight
+ Sturdy
+ No antenna (preference really)
+ Great reception, clear calls
+ Awesome graphics
+ Good amount of memory, 256MB card
+ Customizeable
+ Easy, pretty UI
+ Bluetooth
+ Short video clip recording
CONS:
- Ugly square shape
- Feels big in hand
- Camera quality is horrible (compared to Samsungs and Motorolas I've had) -- very pixelated
- Shouldn't be used like an IPOD not enough memory
- Music headphones cheap and uncomfortable in ears
Overall this phone is great, the only thing I wasn't wholly satisifed with was the look and amount of music I could save on it; otherwise it is worth the $$$ and a phone that you'd wanna keep for a while. No serious complaints here.
Excellent Reception + Battery Life
I've had this phone for about 2 weeks (cingular dc/balt). This is the only phone i've ever had that works everywhere. No dropped calls at all. The battery life initially started weak, but now after a few charges seems to last forever (about 5 days with decent usage still had 35%). Decent speakerphone. Do wish the a missed call message would stay on the outside display untill you cleared it -instead a clock screensaver pops up after a few seconds of no activity.
Pros:
-Excellent Battery Life
-Excellent Reception
-Expandable memory
-MP3 + Radio + Easy file Transfer.
-User Interface
-Lots of nice little features (ability to record phone conversations..etc)
Cons:
-Outside display can't be customized at all.
-Inside screen display just average.
-Camera Phone
-For what its worth a higher then average SAR rating.
