Sony Ericsson’s latest version of the Walkman phone, the W580i, adds a new level of multimedia functionality to the popular music phone while incorporating a sleek slider design.
From the Walkman’s new “shake to shuffle” feature that changes songs with a flick of the wrist to its “ID song’ function that literally names that tune, the handset moves seamlessly between its function as phone, multimedia device and music player.
The phone also offers fitness-tracking functions that transform the phone into a training center by tracking exercise data that can be transferred to a computer.
The Sony Ericsson W580i offers Stereo Bluetooth 2.0 technology, an FM radio and a 2.0-megapixel camera and camcorder. Boasting good audio quality and connection, the phone’s EDGE technology allows users to download graphics, games and ringtones as well as robust multimedia text messaging and web browsing.
Design
The W580i joins the ranks of sexy slider phones that pack music and multimedia into a slim design. Ultra light at 3.3 ounces, the phone fits easily in the palm of the hand and features a curved bottom edge for extra leverage.
Measuring almost four inches long and 1.8 inches wide, with a thickness of half an inch, the phone is shaped like a small brick. The body has brushed metal sheen that disguises the fact that it’s made of lightweight plastic. In the hand, the phone feels almost too light at 3.3 ounces. Although the phone slides easily on its chassis, there’s no easy place for the thumb to grip when opening the phone with one hand. The lack of grip coupled with the fact that the plastic is slippery makes for awkward one-handed opening, although after repeated use the motion gets easier.
A small power button on the top rear edge of the handset also requires a special hand trick to turn the phone on. However, its inconspicuous size leaves room on the top of the phone for an expandable Memory Stick Micro memory slot. A volume key is positioned the left side of the phone, and the headset, charger and handsfree connector is conveniently located on the right side of the phone.
The front of the phone features a navigation keypad and shortcut buttons that enable the user to make and answer calls, play games, browse the web or play music without opening the phone. A bright, 2.2-inch display (240 x 320 px) projects 262K-colors and uses TFT technology to produce crisp, vivid images.
Below the screen, the 5-way navigation keypad offers shortcut buttons of the user’s choice for phone functionality, while the center key opens up the main menu. When the Walkman button at the bottom left of the phone is activated, the circular keypad becomes a music control with Pause / Stop, Forward or Reverse buttons. The MEdia Net key at the bottom right of the phone opens up the phone’s web browser.
The W580i slides open to reveal a flat numeric keypad with a cool blue glow. The tight placement of the keys makes blind dialing difficult, but the keys themselves have a solid feel. Opening the slider reveals the 2.0-megapixel camera lens at the top of the phone.
The sides of the phone light up playfully in 16 color patterns when a call comes in. Colors range from Apricot to TuttiFrutti.
The phone lacks a designated camera key, so unless the camera is set as a smart key, users must navigate to the camera from the main menu to take pictures. Once the camera is activated, selection keys below the screen can be used to capture photos or change settings, while the volume keys adjust brightness and the up and down keys on the navigation keypad zoom in or out.
Perhaps the most innovative design feature is the W580i’s “shake to shuffle” music control that changes a song at the flick of the wrist. When the Walkman is on, users can shuffle to a new song by pressing the Walkman key and shaking the phone.
Out of the box, the Sony Ericsson W580i comes with a standard 900 mAh-Li-Ion battery, charger, headset and USB cable. The box also includes a disc of Sony Ericsson’s music management software for transferring music from the phone to the computer, Disc2Phone. The W580i is available in three simple colors: Style White, Boulevard Black and Urban Grey.
Camera
Although the W580i was designed primarily as a music phone, the handset comes equipped with a 2.0-megapixel camera and camcorder. While high-end phones on the market are now offering cameras that shoot up to 5.0-megapixels, a 2.0-megapixel lens is standard fare for mid-range phones like the W580i.
As previously mentioned, the W580i does not feature side key activation, a function found on many other phones that provides quick access to the phone. To trigger the shutter, users have to go into the main menu, which is time consuming and defeats the purpose of snapping impromptu photos. One way to get around this issue is to set the phone as a smart key on the circular dial.
The W580i’s camera has a 4x digital zoom and shoots in a 1600 x 1200 px resolution, not quite print quality, but good enough for sending to friends and displaying on a computer.
In well-lit environments, the camera produces vivid photos with good depth of field that look good on the phone’s bright screen. However, because the camera lacks a flash, pictures taken in low light settings come out dark and videos appear grainy.
The W580i’s lens captures photos in three sizes: 2.0-megapixel, 1.3-megapixel and VGA (640 x 480 px). Shooters can choose between normal and fine picture quality in the settings menu and take panorama pictures using the camera’s internal guide that lines up the series of shots using a ghost image of the previous shot. Other camera functions include a self-timer, night mode, black and white and negative effects, a choice of saving to the phone’s internal memory or a memory card and white balance. Four different shutter sounds offer a variety of cool effects for snapping pictures.
The phone’s volume keys transform into brightness control when the camera turns on. When settings are changed to the lowest resolution (640 x 480 px), the top and bottom buttons on the phone’s navigation wheel will zoom the camera up to 4x.
Once a photo is captured, users can edit using the “Photo DJ” application. Editing tools include light balance, brightness and contrast, red-eye removal and rotate canvas. Users can also add an effect such as cartoon, negative or frosted glass. The phone comes with a USB cable that can be connected to a PictBridge compatible printer for on-the-spot prints.
The camcorder produces high-quality video in two sizes that can be played back on the phone’s screen or sent via Bluetooth to a phone or computer. Video shot in high-quality mode (176 x 144 px) can be saved and transferred to a computer. Lower-quality (128 x 96 px) can be attached to messages and sent to contacts. The camcorder takes up to 30 seconds of lower-quality videos for multimedia messaging. The camcorder shoots 15 frames per second and records in .3GP format.
Like the camera, the camcorder’s settings menu includes a night mode and special effects. The “Video DJ” editor enables users to run a number of videos together with other images and music to create a longer film. Shooters can turn the microphone off to create silent films or shoot in black and white. While multimedia videos have a 30-second time limit, high quality video can run as long as memory permits.
Photos can be saved to the phone’s memory or to the external memory stick, which accepts Memory Stick Micro cards holding up to 2 GB and is compatible with cameras, PCs and other devices, making it easier to transfer and manage files for future use.
Downloading video is also an option for W580i users who want to save streamed video on the phone’s memory and view it later on the Walkman.
While the phone’s camera works great for multimedia messaging and adds a component of fun and spontaneity to the W580i, the 2.0-megapixel camera shouldn’t be considered a replacement for a digital phone. While the camera is a convenient way to send spontaneous snaps to friends and family and enhances the phone’s multimedia capability, serious photographers will want a separate camera capturing for print-quality shots.
Basic Features
The W580i is a quad-band world phone, transmitting at GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz frequencies. Unlocked, the handset makes calls on compatible GSM networks throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
The phone offers standard features such as address book, calendar, voice command, alarm clock, handsfree, conference calling and speakerphone.
Contacts can be stored either in the phone’s address book or on a smart chip. Storing information on a smart chip allows the user to transfer contacts easily to another phone. Each new contact in the 1,000-capacity address book has room for five phone numbers, email and web addresses, plus a photo, personal ringtone and a special light effect.
Another useful feature is the airplane “Flight Mode” function, which turns off phone transmitters during flights while enabling users to crank up the tunes on their Walkman.
At low and medium volumes, the speakerphone produces a robust sound. Turn the volume up to high, and the feedback on the speakerphone creates a slight buzzing sound.
For those who hate dialing, voice control enables users to create custom vocal commands that direct the phone to dial, answer or reject calls. The W580i will even play the vocal tag to announce an incoming call from a contact, for a personalized touch.
In the phone’s “My Stuff” menu, users can select wallpaper and browse downloaded ringtones, games, graphics, as well as saved chats.
True to the Sony Walkman’s original use as an exercise tool, the Walkman phone includes a fitness pedometer that tracks running and walking workouts, including time, step count and calories burned for each run or walk. Fitness nuts can keep track of their daily treks and store the results in a designated file, which can be transferred to a computer for future reference.
Although the W580i’s battery life is rated at nine hours of talk time and 15 days of standby time, using the phone for surfing the net drains the batter faster, putting the rate of active use at seven or eight hours.
Screen
The W580i’s two-inch screen dominates the front of the phone and produces sharp, easy-to-read characters, even in direct sunlight.
With a resolution of 240 x 320 px, the screen lights up in 262K-colors using advanced TFT (Thin Film Transistor) technology. Using TFT, transistors are placed on the screen to allow faster refresh rates over other types of LCD screens, offering more colorful images. Their downside is that they also burn up more battery.
At a glance, the screen displays the transmitter’s signal strength, the phone’s available battery life and the time and date. Up to 240 characters display on the text and there’s a 60-second time-out limit for the user to clear the text. The screen includes brightness control to adapt the backlighting to different lighting conditions and a screensaver that users can select using an image of their choice.
Audio
The Walkman function is the W580i’s sweet spot, combining easy navigation and interface with stellar stereo sound. The Walkman doesn’t discriminate among sound files, playing AAC, AAC+, Enhanced AAC+, MP3, MP4, M4A, 3GP, AMR, WAV, G-MIDI and SP-MIDI file formats.
Pressing the “W” on the front of the phone brings the Walkman to life, taking the user to the song that was playing when the player was last paused or stopped. Once the music is on, users can multitask by pressing the back button and use the phone to send messages, make appointments or browse the internet. When a call comes in, the Walkman automatically pauses songs, giving users the options of un-pausing or taking the call.
The Walkman is controlled using the Play / Stop, Forward and Reverse buttons on the circular keypad. The Walkman can also be controlled by a flick of the wrist. Just press the Walkman button and shake the phone to forward the player to the next song.
The Walkman player features an Equalizer with Bass and Mega Bass, Stereo Widening for extra round sound and Visual Settings that create psychedelic twirls on the screen as the music plays. New skins can be added to freshen the look of the player.
The “My Music” menu categorizes music by Artist, Album, Tracks or Playlist. The Walkman will automatically loop songs in a folder. There are two ways to create playlists. On the phone itself, users can scroll through the songs and mark individual tracks to be added, a cumbersome process.
An easier way to manage music is to connect the phone to a computer and use the included Disc2phone software that rips tracks straight from a music CD to the phone. Or bypass the software and simply drag and drop files from the computer to a music folder that shows up on the memory stick drive on the desktop.
Sony Ericsson includes rubber-tipped, in-ear buds that intensify the listening experience by kicking out crunching bass lines and crystal-high treble notes.
The phone comes with FM radio, accessible through the “AT&T Music” menu. The radio streams using RDS (Radio Data System) technology and includes music stations, talk radio and news. Heavy sleepers who like waking up to music will be happy to know that the radio doubles as an alarm signal. One note to users: the in-line microphone adapter and ear buds must be plugged in first to access the radio.
The phone also includes some high-tech perks such as TrackID, a cool function that lets listeners record a portion of a song and submit it for identification. This function is unbeatable when a burning desire to know a song’s title or artist overtakes all other priorities. Users should be aware that AT&T charges a monthly fee for the TrackID service, which first must be downloaded from AT&T’s MEdia Net.
Other audio functions include creating ring tones using the Music DJ, a sampler tool with MIDI drum, guitar, keyboard, bass and brass loops in different music styles. These can be combined to put together individualized, polyphonic ring tones.
The phone can also be used as a metronome and records audio into files that can be used as a ringtone or attached to multimedia messages.
Messaging
The W580i offers a gamut of messaging options, from SMS (Short Messaging Service) to MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) text messages.
Text messages carry a limit of 160 characters. With a few clicks, these can be turned into multimedia messages by selecting a photo, video or audio file to attach. Just scroll through a handy menu of attachment options at the bottom of the message screen and select the type. Senders can also add a signature with every message as well as preview a message before sending. The phone uses T9 predictive text input, the standard word prediction function on mobile phones.
Users with third-party AOL, MSN or Yahoo accounts can also fire off instant messages or emails from their phone using the mobile email function.
One note of caution: SMS, MMS and web-based messaging require data subscription plans. Before messaging, users should check with AT&T and find out costs and messaging limits for their account.
Entertainment
Playing the role of the great warrior, Beowulf, can’t get any easier on the W580i. A full menu of the most popular J2ME games are available for download through MEdia Net, AT&T’s web browsing portal. While demos of games such as Bejeweled and Pac Man come already installed on the phone, they have to be purchased through for users to enjoy their full content.
AT&T’s Media Mall also offers downloadable movie clips, ringtones and applications, including mobile phone versions of The Weather Channel, Fox Sports and Wikipedia. These products can be downloaded from the AT&T website or directly to the phone. Users are charged a one-time fee for each download, which will appear on their monthly AT&T bill. Users should be aware of each purchase price before downloading.
As mentioned previously, the W580i offers other functions that are just as entertaining as games, such as Video DJ, Photo DJ and Music DJ programs. Users can create mash-ups of their favorite video, photos or sound clips as well as custom ringtones or songs and send them to friends as an MMS.
In addition to games and media, the W580i also features a few practical applications, such as the Fitness Tracker, Timer, Stopwatch, Calculator, Calendar and Notes.
Internet
The W580i browses the internet using AT&T’s MEdia Net service, which provides access to email, websites and games. AT&T offers MEdia Net on a pay-as-you-go service ($0.01 per KB) or as a bundled rate plan.
The W580i also offers video streaming using MEdia Net’s MobiTV application, but users should be aware of the extra charges they might incur while watching live TV on their phones, due to the large among data they will be downloading while streaming.
MEdia Net uses AT&T’s Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE) network, AT&T’s data network, transferring at speeds between 70 and 135 kilobits per second. The EDGE network is available in more than 13,000 U.S. cities and covers 40,000 miles of highways. While faster than first generation GPRS networks, EDGE is considerably slower than the newest HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) 3G network offered by AT&T, which the W580i unfortunately lacks. HSDPA-capable phones can take advantage of AT&T Music and Video services, providing optimal transfer rates of 3.6 Mbps downloads and 384 kbps uploads.
Storage
With a scant 12 MB of internal memory, W580i users will need to use Memory Stick Micro memory cards for any reasonable multimedia capabilities. Fortunately the W580i comes with a 256 MB card; not a lot of memory, but able to store 50+ songs.
While virtually similar to the more widely used microSD format, Memory Stick Micro is a Sony proprietary technology, meaning it will cost slightly more than other memory cards.
Connectivity
The W580i supports Bluetooth connectivity, including Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) for stereo wireless listening to music. Bluetooth enables users to connect the phone to other cell phones, computers and multiple Bluetooth devices at the same time at a range of up to 10 meters (33 feet).
With Bluetooth, the W580i can be transformed into a wireless data hub, enabling the transfer of data, pictures, video and music between the phone and a computer. It also sets the user up with the option to use a vast array of Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as other phones, stereos or printers.
Besides A2DP, the phone supports Basic Imaging Profile, Basic Printing Profile, Dial-Up Networking Profile, File Transfer Profile, Generic Access Profile, Handsfree Profile, Object Exchange Profile, Object Push Profile, Headset Profile, Personal Area Network Profile and Serial Port Profile. The phone also comes with a USB cable for syncing with a PC.
Sony Ericsson Walkman serious of phones have enjoyed immense popularity since their initial release in 2005. As of July 2007, the company reported total sales of 36 million phones, with 9 million phones sold between April and June of 2007.
The W580i combines the best of two products, the high-quality of Sony music players with the solid reception and functionality of a Sony Ericsson handset.
With the exception of a speakerphone that sounds fuzzy at high volumes, the W580i delivers on its promise of combining a great phone and music player with and endless multimedia.
It also offers the best of entertainment choices. From its easy music-transferring capability that allows users to put their own music onto their phone to its FM radio, fitness tracking device, games, and video and music editors, the phone provides a variety of options for users to explore. Combined with its camera and messaging functions the W580i stands out as a device that not only keeps users connected but gives them multiple platforms in which to express themselves.
