Sony Ericsson W810
Phone Scoop Review
Apr 20, 2006 by Eric Lin
In-depth review of the new Sony Ericsson W810 Walkman phone. with Video Tour. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
Indepth semi-professional opinion
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I am one of the pickiest people I know when it comes to cell phones(and most things). I also tend to get bored rather quickly. I am ashamed to admit within 26 months I have tried 12 cell phones(In no order: LG CG300, 8125, a520, w600i, W580i, n75, L7, LG Fusic, Sanyo M1, Samsung SGH-D807, Samsung SYNC, and W810i) and three carriers(I had two at once while working as a store manager. I wanted real experience and not only what cellular companies told me was true)
With that being said, the W810i(unlocked)is my favorite phone ever. Even after I got the new w580i from ATT(and before it starting giving me trouble) I still preferred the w810i.
Pros:
-Top pick for signal and call clarity
-Top pick for speaker volume and quality
-Top pick for Battery(talk and standby)
-Solid Durable Keys
-Loaded sound files may be used as ringtone
-Multiple Themes keep new phone excitement
-New themes(seasonal available)free from SE(Sony Ericsson)
-All around Durability and solid feel
-Great Blue Tooth reception
-Top Pick for 2.0 MP camera and flash
-Surprising internet speed (for EDGE)
-Very Customizable Menu(theme), shortcuts,ect.
-NO 3G to drain your battery(I hate that)
Ect, Ect, Ect....
Cons:
-Screen scratches=no coin/key in phone pocket
-No WIFI
-Proprietary(all stuff came in box though)
-Battery door difficult on/off(can be good)
-Battery meter goes up and down sometimes
-New SE users must adjust to lack of dedicated Talk/End keys(short adjustment)
It should be noted if you need the advanced features of a PDA this phone will probably not meet your requirements. It will satisfy most users needs/wants while maintaining functional simplicity.
I also want to note I have an unlocked phone which may have prevented glitches carrier specific phones may have.
Final Word: My W810 sat in standing water(toilet) for 30 seconds 6 months ago. After 1 week drying time, It powered up & worked fine. My R nav key has quit, but all considering I am awe struck with it's durability.
Love at First Sight, To The Blind Eye
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I fell in love with my phone in the first few moths, even after the big let down that it was uninsurable. Then, the first summer I had my phone, the ear piece stopped working, days later for "unexplainable" reasons my w810i DELETED ALL my NUMBERS.
So, Okay I went a couple of months without any numbers, I'll live right, WRONG. A few months later my Picture messaging Started failing. one of my friends would send me a picture message, My phone would say, LOADING MESSAGE", freeze and then after 5-10 min my phone would be on the main menu, and would have a new mms icon (the closed envelope with that cute little sideways green triangle in the corner.) I would go th my inbox, only to see that cute little envelope was now a broken envelope that when clicked on would read, DOWNLOAD FAILED." For several months this problem has persisted. I have contacted Cingular/ATT countless times referring to this issue. Their one and only salution...NEW PHONE Now including the 1st replacement phone for the broken earpeice, I have had 6 Sony Ericsson w810i's and I have my 7th currently on the way. The 5th I didn't even have 2 days befor the mms and txt failed. The 6th pronounced D.O.A. (Dead on arrival)
PRO
- It's Sony
- 2 mp camera
- Walkman
- Internet
- LED Light
- Each number corresponds with a menu selection (1-web mail 2-messages etc)
- Vibe is very suttle
- can create delete and rename files
- amazing battery life!
- phone has a programmable lock code
- has auto key lock so no outrageous bills
- bluetooth and infrared actually work
- option to hide your number(no need for *69)
- Can edit photos on device
CONS
- MMS Failure
- TXT Failure
- Poor sound quality
- Slow Camera reaction Time
- screen scratches easily
- expense $210
- bulky
- has trouble reading my 2 gig memory card
- calendar sux! you can't enter birthdays or any reoccurring events
- personalization is limited. (You can't even set you own banner)
- camera lens cracks easily
Greatest phone ever!!!!!!!!!
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I just switched from verizon to cingular, and i am amazed by this phone and what it can offer. My reception has been good so far but most of all the battery on this phone is just amazing. Over all this phone is the best.
Replacing My Nokia 6230
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I have searched endlessly for a replacement to my trusty(but outdated) Nokia 6230, and I think I just found it. I have used a SLVR, V551, Nokia 6682, and an SE 520, and I always went back to the 6230.
My main complaints about the 6230 were the screen, and the camera.
This phone has everything! First the size, it is slightly wider than the 6230, but less than my SLVR. So the phone is a good fit in the hand, but not to big in the pocket either. Length and depth are the same as the 6230, and obviously thicker than the SLVR. The phone essentially resembles the old SE T616, in size and shape.
The menu system is so incredibly intuitive. The middle select button, selects the most common options.(A plus in my book) It is also very fast without any lag.
Coming from a Nokia, and a Motorola, it is difficult to not have a dedicated "call" and "end" button. But like everyone says, it is easy to overcome.
The camera is outstanding. Pictures are incredibly clear, especially compared to a VGA or 1mp camera.
The screen is outstanding. While not as big as the 6682, it is incredibly sharp, and bright. I was at a wedding yesterday, and came out to full sunlight, and I could read the screen just fine, and even typed a text message. That was a first for me!
Call quality has been good for me, I have not experienced any dropped calls, or anything. The volume does seem a little low, but comparable to the SLVR's volume.
The volume keys are on the right side of the phone, so for righties, this will be a little awkward, you have to change volume with your thumb. But to make them usable for the camera as well, it is the only place.
I do a lot of text messaging and this phone is excellent for texting.
To sum, it all up...I absolutely LOVE this phone, and I am EXTREMELY picky. If you get a chance, pick one up. You wont be disappointed.
For the record, I am using an unlocked w810i, that I purchased from buy.com and received on August 3rd. I use Cingular in Indiana.
W810i - A Feature Phone and nothing more!
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After reading all the rave reviews I decided to get this phone as an upgrade to my aging Nokia 6200.
Also note, I am very biased toward Nokia since thats all I've ever owned and I've become very accustomed to their menus and layout.
I've only had the phone a few hours, but I've seen enough. I'm calling Cingular first thing in the morning to find out if I can return it. My biggest gripe is how chintzy it is. The buttons creak like your pressing your finger into a block of foam.
Pros:
2MP Camera
Size
3rd party accessories
MP3 Player
Easy to unbrand
Cons:
Extremely cheap feeling, you can hear the buttons creaking from across the room.
Voice quality is horrible
Contact list lacks sorting and view options
Calendar is next to worthless. You can't even add birthdays, you have to make them appointments!
Overall this phone has some great features, however one of the biggest features it lacks is being a quality phone.
If I can return it my next option is the Samsung A707.
SE let me down!
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I purchased the W810i after having my W600i stolen. I am a big fan of SE and will only purchase SE for GSM service. But this time, SE let me down.
After having this phone for a 10 days, I was forced to return it, even though it was the phone of my dreams!
PROS:
- great form-factor, love the candybar
- great reception
- great pictures
- awesome keypad
- display is fantastic
- love all the SE Walkman music, just like my dub-six
CONS:
- cheap, plasticy feel to the phone
- could be a little larger
- call quality is horrible
- VOLUME, VOLUME, VOLUME, VOLUME!!!!
The volume on this phone is about 1/10th that of the w600i. I couldn't hear when I was at home much less in the mall and at work! I did a side-by-side comparison, and my girlfriend's Nokia 3220 was louder on regular and speakerphone! In the comparison, I also found the cheap Nokia to have better sound quality.
CONCLUSION:
If you need a functional phone with some cool features, look elsewhere! If you live in a silent bubble or have bionic hearing, purchase this phone! Me, I'm going back to a w600i until I switch to Verizon for the LG 9800!
Great phone, performs amazing
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-couldn't ask for a better device for music
-playlists are great
-volume with or without head phones is great
-everything included in box (a huge bonus)
-expandable memory to 4gb, sweet action, for get the iPod nano
-battery life is phenominal
-crystal clears calls on AT&T, even with just one bar
-Texting is super quick on this baby
You won't regret the w810i
An all-around outstanding performer
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For a phone almost a year and a half old now, this thing still packs a whopping punch! The w810i has an excellent feature base and a well engineered interface that will leave you playing with it for hours on end. Everything is intuitively placed on the phone, and build quality is outstanding. The size is perfect, and holding it up to your ear is comfortable, and never clunky.
I would rate the w810i's call quality a 4/5. Volume is more than sufficient (but a little on the low side) and clarity is good. Outgoing audio is clear as well. The mic does a great job processing voices and eliminating as much of the background as possible.
The music player is sublime. Sony did an excellent job integrating it into the phone. Menus flow nicely, and songs are organized by Artist, Track, Album, and Playlist. Music can be played in the background or on top and is automatically paused when you are taking a picture or making a call. You can even start the phone up in walkman mode or phone mode. The best part are the packaged earphones that come with the phone. They are passive noise cancelling and eliminate a large portion of outside noise. They reproduce sound very well too. This all makes for amazing outdoor walks or hikes with the music playing.
Lastly, the w810i's camera is decent. I wouldnt call it superior, but it is quite good. As far as layout and integration with the phone go, I would rate it a 5/5 (outstanding). Everything seems logical and there are tons of options to play around with with everything flowing nicely. Picture quality was 3/5. Clarity and sharpness on all but the highest resolution are mediocre. The metering system is where the camera falls short. It does not do a sufficient job balancing sky and terrain. Most pictures come out either too dark or too bright. I often like to snap shots of dramatic clouds against terrain, but it never comes out right with this camera. Should be fine for the occasional shots.
An all around great phone though!
Stepping Up
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Originally I was going to go with a non camera low function phone assuming that I will have an job in the future that would not allow a camera phone. After looking at some cases that would disguise the camera well I decided to get the W810i.
Overal
So far I am very pleased. I don't currently have an mp3 player or digital camera so this phone really is three devices in one and functions well at all of them.
Camera
2.0 Megapixels isn't huge by today's technology standards but for pictures I don't plan to blow up to 8" x 10" sizes and will just take for fun and to post on the internet this works great.
mp3 player
I found the software fairly user friendly once I understood it. There are different levels of compression for the mp3s to be transfered with obvious limits on sound quality when reduced significantly. Right now the included 128 Mb card limits my music but I plan to purchase the 1GB card soon. mp3s can be used as ringtones once they have been compressed to the maximum (32 kbps).
Pros:
Fairly compact but not overly small
Looks good
All in one device that does well at all
Memory card, USB cable, and software included
Cons:
Just button placement till I get used to it
W810i...In Depth
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I have had it for 3 months now and have read the other reviews on phonescoop and would like to give you my input.
PROS
Great reception
Great voice quality (although not best, very good)
MP3 player-be sure to use the software that came with the phone b/c it makes it so much easier
-to clarify, if a song name is longer than
the width of the screen, the song tag does
scroll.
-the headphones that came with the phone
are exceptionally awesome
Contacts
-to clarify, you are able to sort the list
between First name & Last name
-to clarify, if you want to input birthdays
please don't try to do it in the calender.
you can store birthdays in the contacts
list under contact details, along with a
work address, home address, email address
5 numbers, website address & a lot more
Great 2.0 MP Camera
-to clarify, camera on W810i is better
than Samsung A707 (phone is better too)
-to clarify, the LED's used as flash stay
lit to get rid of red eye & improve all
around night shots
Games...I thought I would never play games as much as I do on a phone but it really does pass the time when I'm bored...so I play all day.
Radio
Battery life is very, very, very good. I get about 5 hours if I am really using the phone. Playing games, Mp3's, radio, camera, calls
CONS
Cingular branding...Cingular Branding...Cingular Branding
-this phone is great, even with Cingular
branding...but it is even greater without
it. davinciteam.com allows this to be a
really good phone.
Cheap feeling
-to clarify, it is not cheap by any means.
I have dropped it so many times and no
scratches. even though cheap feeling, its
like a rock.
SUMMARY
This is an awesome phone first and foremost, but on top of that is is awesome mp3 player, camera, radio, pass the time...get it! If you want to contact me, please feel free to. I have had so many phones & this is by far the best I have had.
