Sony Ericsson W890i Walkman

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When the W880i was first available, it was received with mixed responses. Its ultraslim profile, solid build quality, attractive design matched with a decent feature set may have been a hit, but the phone was ultimately "killed" by its tiny keys. So when we saw the specifications of its successor, the W890i, and more importantly, the larger keys on the product stills, we knew we had to give the series a second chance.

Design

If you've used the W880i before, you would find it a pain to type with the grain-sized keys. That was one of the biggest letdowns on the W880i. Fortunately, its successor, the W890i, addresses that specific issue.

We like the snappy feel of the keypad.
(click for larger image)

The buttons are now mini humps that provide a decent level of tactility. That said, after a quick poll with friends, we gathered two main types of responses--the first group was bowled over by the form factor (keys were a secondary issue to them); the second group thought the buttons could be better. We didn't have any issues with the keypad, on the contrary we found ourselves liking the snappy feel. Users with larger thumbs may want to try it for themselves before buying the phone, though.

The W890i checks in at 10mm thin and a featherweight 78g, which make it very attractive in terms of size. If you're worried the W890i may feel like a toy, don't. In fact, the handset has a right combination of footprint and load. Design-wise, the brushed metal gives the W890i a solid build quality and adds a nice finishing touch to the chassis. We had a Mocha Brown review unit though the phone is also available in Sparkling Silver.

Elsewhere, the W890i comes with a Walkman button on the left, and camera shutter and volume controls on the right. The connector port is found on the same side as the music key and, unless you have a pair of wireless earphones, you'll have to bear with the headset port jutting out when the phone is in your pocket.

Sony Ericsson ships the W890i with a 2GB Memory Stick Micro M2 card which is great, but getting to the flash media requires you to remove the battery cover. The latter is held in place by two manual clasps on the sides of the phone. That's an additional step, but it isn't as bad as having to restart the phone if the card is behind the Lithium-polymer cell.

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