By Reuben Lee
05/08/2005
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/mobilephones/0,39051199,39087068p,00.htm

It's not hard to see why the Sony Ericsson W800i is one of the most-anticipated mobile handsets in the market today. Not only does it sport a trendy orange and vanilla white design that stands out among the silver and black candybars, this Walkman phone comes packed with powerful features: 2-megapixel camera, MP3 player, video recording and playback, and FM radio. Only one question begs to be asked: How different is the W800i from the K750i?

  Check out our photo gallery for different views of the W800i here.

Design
The most visible difference has to be their colors. The W800i's eye-catching blend of orange and white is flashy and clearly designed for the hip MP3-playing crowd, while the K750i, dressed in a sleek black outfit, is targeted at serious users who prefer to remain less conspicuous with their phones. That said, the slim form factor and lightweight design on both handsets, which allow them to be slipped easily into small pockets and handbags, should appeal equally to most users.

W800i in flashy orange and white versus the K750i in sleek black (click for a larger image)

See the difference in sliding mechanism for the two phones (click for a larger image)

One notable improvement made on the W800i is the lens sliding mechanism for the onboard camera. While users are required to manually slide open the lens cover on the K750i to activate the camera, this has been reduced to a simple switch (near the shutter button) on the W800i. This not only makes it easier to slide the lens cover but, more importantly, the new design lessens the likelihood of activating the camera accidentally when stuffing the phone in the pocket.

To facilitate instant music playback on the W800i, a Play button is located on the left side of the phone. The center button right above the joystick is now assigned to toggle between music playback and phone modes. On the K750i, the same button is a shortcut button which gives you access to customized features and Web links.

The W800i uses a dedicated port for connecting to the earphones (click for a larger image)

The standard bundle comes with a earphone and handsfree kit (click for a larger image)

We wished that Sony Ericsson had included a standard 3.5mm audio jack on the W800i, which would certainly have made it convenient for users to connect to the phone directly with their own headphones. However, the W800i does come with a handsfree adapter cable that offers a 3.5mm jack, so you can hook the phone up to a set of speakers or headphones for better sound reproduction. Users also have a choice of three different earbud sizes to go with the included earphones for best comfort and insulation against ambient noises.

Throughout tests, we found the phone keypad well-spaced and generally responsive. The only issue we had was with the multidirectional joystick which is not protruding enough, making it hard for those with bigger fingers to navigate accurately. The user interface is intuitive, so it should be fairly easy to master for those using a Sony Ericsson for the first time.

Features
One of the things we like most about the W800i is that it has plenty of memory. Unlike many camera-phones which come with either dedicated onboard memory or expansion slots which require the additional purchase of flash memory cards, the W800i comes with a generous 512MB Memory Stick Duo card on top of the embedded 34MB. This lets you store a decent number of MP3 songs and a couple of short videos, and still have space for a fair number of still image shots. The memory slot also supports Memory Stick Duo Pro cards of up to 2GB in capacity, according to Sony Ericsson.

	Every W800i comes bundled with a 512MB Memory Stick Duo card (click for a larger image)

However, the inclusion of the 512MB card does come at a price. Compared with the K750i which comes without the card bundle, the W800i costs almost S$200 more. What's interesting to note, too, is that the 512MB card is SanDisk branded, not Sony. A quick check with shops in Sim Lim Square found similar cards costing between S$120 and S$140.

Like the K750i, the Walkman phone comes with a strong feature set that includes an MP3 player, a FM radio and a 2-megapixel camera that captures JPEG images up to 1,632 x 1,224 pixels or .3gp video at 176 x 144 pixels. The onboard Media Player utility also supports playback of MPEG-4 video files. A point to note: As with most FM tuner-enabled handsets, an audio headset has to be attached to act as an antenna for the radio.

On the connectivity front, the W800i offers triband GSM (900/1800/1900) support as well as the standard GPRS, HSCSD and WAP. Users have the option to transfer data between the phone and PC via Bluetooth, infrared and USB. Interestingly, when the phone is connected to a PC via USB, the phone is recharged at the same time. Modem drivers are also provided in the bundled CD to utilize the phone as a modem for a PC or notebook.

Performance And Battery Life
Having tested the K750i not too long ago, we had a clear idea of what to expect for the W800i which has almost identical features. While the camera suffered from some shutter lag which is common among camera-phones, outdoor images captured were generally sharp with good color reproduction and exposure. Video recordings were also of decent quality though fast action footage turned out slightly pixelated. The strong flash light, however, did not do much to improve night pictures. Nonetheless, we found it useful as a torchlight.

Sound quality, as expected from a Walkman device, was excellent with good MegaBass support and good-quality earphones. Our only gripe was with the MegaBass function which works effectively only when listening to music via the earphones. For ringtones, the onboard speaker, which is hidden neatly under the lens, also lacked the volume range to be audible in outdoor environments at times.

The Walkman phone comes with an option to turn on the music player only. (click for a larger image)

On a full charge, the W800i can last for more than three days of usage (click for a larger image)

We liked that the W800i has an option to turn on the music player without powering on the phone. This is great for those who do not want to be constantly interrupted while listening to music and allows the handset to be used just like a dedicated music player.

A bigger LCD display would have been nice on the W800i, particularly for video playback, but that would probably have compromised on the battery life. On the whole, the screen was sharp and bright enough when viewed in most environments. In its brightest mode, the display was viewable even under direct sunlight.

On a full charge, the phone dropped to its last battery bar only after more than three days of usage, which is quite impressive considering its multiple onboard functions. While testing the phone, we did not encounter any issues with calls or reception. The highest SAR value for this device is 0.67W/kg which meets international guidelines for exposure to radio waves.