Magnificent Seven
With more members than the Von Trapp family, Sony Ericsson’s Walkman phone dynasty is taking over the mobile music charts. Is the W810i, a souped-up version of the W800i, another Walkman winner?
There’s
no doubt that the trailblazing Walkman brand of the eighties and nineties
paved the way for the iPod’s phenomenal success. Since its birth in
July 1979, the Walkman has defined music on the move and arguably youth culture
around the end of last century. And while Sony may have recently experienced
a dip in street credibility, undoubtedly caused by Apple’s runaway popularity,
the Walkman name in the digital age has again flourished in the most unlikely
of places.
With three million sales worldwide (and counting), Sony Ericsson’s seven Walkman phones have captured the public imagination. The W800i was the first to launch, with its eye-catching white and orange livery, and since then Sony Ericsson hasn’t looked back. Now with the entry-level prepay number (W300i), 3G-speeding music maestro (W900i) and the upcoming flagship 4GB flash-memory handset (W950i), every music taste is catered for. But amongst all these handsets, the W810i might just become the music phone of choice.
As the model number suggests, the W810i is a slightly improved version of the original W800i. On paper these refinements may look insubstantial but it has transformed the W810i into possibly the slickest Walkman phone yet.
The most notable change is cosmetic. Gone is the opinion-dividing orange-and-white combination, to be replaced by a classy black-and-orange jacket. The joy-nub has been usurped by a more solid five-way joypad that clearly defines the music controls. A dedicated orange Walkman key sits to the left to fire up the music player, and a customisable Activity shortcut button makes a return appearance from the K750i. The W810i retains the classic Sony Ericsson candybar shape with a compact build reminiscent of its predecessor (it’s trimmer by 1.5mm)
In addition to the superficial revamp, the other major differences are frequency – it has been boosted from tri-band to quad-band, so you can call from anywhere in the USA – and support for EDGE technology for near 3G download speeds.
Of the music phones we’ve tested over the last year, the Walkman range remains the most consummate. The W810i upholds this tradition and Sony Ericsson’s proprietary software, Disc2phone, is the most intuitive mobile music software outside of iTunes. Load the software onto your PC and it will automatically delve into your computer’s music folder and bring up your existing digital library ready to transfer over to your phone via USB. It is exactly the same procedure for transferring your CD library where the song names are uploaded from the internet’s Gracenotes CD database.
You can’t
argue with the sound quality either. Even the supplied in-ear phones issue
a decent sound. And the 3.5mm remote jack means you can plug in your better
quality cans. We hooked up our Sennheiser PX200 headphones, lined up the new
Gnarls Barkley LP, St Elsewhere (sampled at 192Kbps) and experienced a masterful
performance, with a great rounded fidelity and punchy bass.
We’re also pleased that Sony Ericsson still uses the MemoryStick Pro
Duo instead of migrating to the new M2 micro format, so W800i owners can still
use their larger capacity cards if they decide to upgrade. Songs are stored
on the supplied 512MB MemoryStick, which will hold approximately 125 tunes,
assuming you don’t overdo the other multimedia.
The W810i also retains the W800i’s two-megapixel camera lens but lacks its useful active lens cover. Still, this is a minor gripe because the picture quality is superb and equal to the W900i and K750i. The autofocus is also a boon.
As a successor to the mega-selling W800i, the W810i seems to be a more realised phone. This music handset has all the right ingredients to become the biggest star of the Walkman roster.
Speakers of the house ( above )
To expand your Walkman phone’s sound stage, Sony Ericsson offers you three levels of stereo speaker systems: the MS-60 (£30) for truly portable sound, the MDS-60 (£50) for your desktop and the MDS-70 home audio system (£160).
As you might expect for such a costly price tag, the most impressive of this trio is the MDS-70 system. The elongated triangle-shaped speakers themselves are quite discreet, with a front connector to perch your Walkman phone on and a line out to hook up your iPod and other such digital players. But it’s the bulky AC adapter which is the more imposing, doubling as a subwoofer to serve up the bass rumbles. Despite its weighty presence, the woofer is essential to issuing a meaty fidelity. We were surprised how dynamic and vibrant the W810i sounded through these airshifters, with a driving bass sound that belied its size. We can heartily recommend the MDS-70 as a second system for the kitchen or bedroom.
At the other end of the spectrum, the diddy MS-60 speakers are extremely portable and designed for those impromptu parties or outdoor picnic in the park gatherings. Powered by the phone’s battery, the audio quality was respectable if a little thin and tinny (what do you expect for 30 quid?) but they’re fun and frivolous nonetheless.
This review covers the above mobile phone only and does not address the performance of any 3G Network. The score is based on a 3G mobile phone checklist.
Copyright : You are advised that this material is the copyright of www.3G.co.uk and is our own personal view only. (C) All rights reserved 2005. Whist every care has been taken in the preparation of this review, the author nor 3G.co.uk cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or authenticity of the information it contains, or consequence arising from it.
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