Sony Ericsson W550i Review
Phone rating: 
Original review: November 2005. Last updated January 2009.
The W550i is another Walkman™ branded phone from Sony Ericsson.
It's a swivel action phone, like the Sony
Ericsson S700i from last year. When closed, you can use the music
functions of the phone, play games and access the menu. The phone is
easy to open, and you then have access to the full keypad. The numeric
keypad isn't the easiest to use, but it's acceptable. The W550i is available
in a choice of three colours: Universe Blue, Orchid White and Vibrant
Orange, with changeable covers.
 As
you'd expect from a phone carrying the Walkman logo, there's a digital
music player and a built-in FM radio. Putting music onto the W550i is
easy, as CD-ripping PC software is supplied with the phone. Using the
Bluetooth connection you can drag and drop MP3 tracks from your PC to
the phone. Flight mode lets you use the music player whilst on an aircraft.
The phone also has a good 1.3 megapixel camera plus a video camera.
There's an easy-to-use menu for the camera functions, and a dedicated
camera button. The screen is large (1.8") and high quality, with
262,000 colours.
The W550i is also designed for games, with dedicated gaming buttons.
Games are played with the phone horizontal, making it easy to hold like
a games console, and also making best use of the screen. You can use
Bluetooth for wireless multi-player games.
The phone is easy to use, with an icon-driven desktop and an intuitive
menu. A file manager application is used to move music tracks and other
items. Voice control can be used to answer or reject calls, and to make
calls from your phonebook.
In conclusion, the W550i is a good phone for music lovers. Although
there's no memory card, 256 Mbytes is more than most phones and is enough
to make this into a useable MP3 player (enough for around 75 tracks).
The sound quality is excellent. The camera is good, though not as good
as the W800i's, and the screen
is also good, though not as large as that on the S700i.
The phone is generally very easy to use, although the keypad is not
ideal for texting. However the W550i is not a reliable phone. Many users
have suffered from a problem where the screen turns white and the phone
has to be replaced, and some users have reported temperemental Bluetooth
connectivity. The Sony Ericsson W800i
is a much better option.
Features of the Sony Ericsson W550i include:
- Walkman media player with Mega Bass™ and stereo widening
- FM radio with RDS
- Stereo headset supplied
- 1.3 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom, photo light and picture
editor
- Video camera with VideoDJ™ video editing software
- Sound recorder
- Display: TFT, 262k colours, 176 x 220 pixels
- Speakerphone
- Messaging: SMS, EMS, MMS, instant messaging,
email
- predictive text
- 40-voice polyphonic ringtones
- MusicDJ™ MIDI melody composer
- Animated wallpaper & screensaver
- 3D Games: embedded & downloadable
- Picture phonebook
- Personal organiser functions
- Changeable covers
- Memory: 256 Mbytes
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB & infrared, modem
- WAP 2.0, GPRS
- XHTML browser
- Vibration alert
- Triband
- Size: 93 x 47 x 23 mm
- Weight: 120g
- Talktime: 8 hours
- Battery standby: 375 hours
Sony Ericsson W550i User Reviews
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Average rating from 102 reviews: 
Reviewed by daniel from philippines on 9th Feb
2012
well all i can say it's nice,, but now i can't used it anymore.. it
has WSOD... SO SAD
Rating: 
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Reviewed by Lily from Philippines on 1st Jan 2012
I had this phone for my birthday. It worked great for a few months,
then, it had problems, at first some of the keys didn't work. It fixed
itself then started to have a buggy problem with a white screen. I had
it fixed. And a couple of months more, the white screen happened again.
I had it repaired for like three times and then it reached the stage
of no return. It's now a paperweight on my desk.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Billy from Ulster on 12th Feb 2006
I have had this phone for nearly a week now and it is brill i hav had
no problems with it so far. i hav decided to keep away from the disc-2-phone
software as i hav only heared bad things from it. so my overal review
is that it is brill and would advise people to go and buy it now!!!!!!!!
1 more thing keep away from o2 as they are bad at getting phones in
and holding them for you!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
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Reviewed by Yazzi from United Kingdom, Scotland on
12th Feb 2006
This phone is great!The sound is amazing and the camera/vidio camera
are at great quality. The down side to this phone is the thinkness it's
a little to fat. But don't let that put you off many people love my
phone. Great phone for music lovers!
Rating:
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Reviewed by Mandy from NZ on 8th Feb 2006
This is without a doubt the best phone I have owned. I have not experienced
any of the problems that have been described, such as the "white screen"
or any connection problems. The swivel action of the handset is original
and very nifty, and the keys, whilst they take some getting used to,
are easy to use. Menus are very intuitive, making accessing and deleting
data relatively simple. With a 1.3 megapixel camera, photos taken on
this phone are of excellent quality and the MP3 player has brilliant
sound clarity. Aside from these functions, there are many other useful
applications. Calendar, flashlight, notepad, sound recorder, task manager,
timer, stopwatch, calculator...the list goes on. This phone is a piece
of technological genius and I would recommend it to anyone. Purchase
this baby, you won't regret it.
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Reviewed by Yoon from England on 8th Feb 2006
I recieved this phone this morning. I just used for 11 hours, but it
is white screened 2 times already with funny noise!! It is just juck!!
I should taken other's advices...... Never buy any Sony Ericsson forever!!
Rating:  Reply
Reviewed by Becki. from UK on 7th Feb 2006
this fone is ace apart from the white screening thing. it has just happened
to me and i hate it. im trying to find out if i can send it back. I
WILL DEFFO NOT BE GETTING THIS PHONE AGAIN!
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Reviewed by paul from england on 6th Feb 2006
i've had mine less than a week and it's dead. it was acting up after
a couple of days-more wank, man than walkman. real probs when trying
to move mp3's onto the phone and delete them from the phone... all i
got now is the sony ericsson logo on the screen, all the buttons lit
up, but none of em do anything anymore. at least it was a free upgrade,
and i can junk it without losing any money on it. i'd hate to think
i'd paid full price for that p.o.c.! i'm going back to the nokia's next
time. this phone is a stinking lousy turd-avoid at all costs!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Ben from Australia on 5th Feb 2006
I have found this phone to be really frustrating since it has a lot
of bugs. I have had situations where I would receive a call and the
phone would vibrate but after taking the call and talking to the other
person on the line, the phone is still vibrating. After the call, I
would turn off the phone and it would still be vibrating. I needed to
remove the battery to stop it. I thought it was just a faulty phone
but I had it exchanged and the same issue occurred. Other issues are:
(1) Even after I remove silent mode on, I would miss calls since the
phone still thinks its on silent mode. (2) When playing MP3s, suddenly
it would just stop playing. After selecting a new song, it would state
that the file could not be found. (3) Images would suddenly be stated
as not available. (4) The games would freeze. The only way to resolve
it is to restart it but I found that an hour or so after I restart it,
the same issues occur. Hope that would deter people from buying this
phone. Or at least heed this warning.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by harry bots from wales on 4th Feb 2006
this is the best phone i have ever had!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
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Reviewed by Rach from UK on 3rd Feb 2006
Had this phone for 4 months before it 'white screened'. Was very upset
that O2 had to send me a completely new handset as I lost all my numbers/pictures
and they even kept the nice white fascia as the orange one is awful.
The new handset hasn't white screened yet, but the lock button on the
side is temperamental and I'm generally a bit disappointed. The features
are great. V. easy to use and have previously been very impressed with
Sony Ericsson - never encountered any probs before. Please don't let
the W550i put you off S.E phones forever. But it's not the best phone,
better off with the W800i.
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Reviewed by Steven from United Kingdom on 2nd
Feb 2006
After being pleased with the Ericsson K700i and having no problems with
it I decided to upgrade to the W550i, and so far I haven't been disappointed.
Superb phone
Rating:
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Reviewed by Joe schultz from england on 31st Jan
2006
ive had my sony ericsson w550i for 2 days and its white screened its
a piece of junk ! its got great features wen it works but i dont think
this phone shud be aloud to be sold. i bought mine from argos and they
wont take it back so thanks to the people that make this phone now im
£180 down !!!!!!!!! LOL dont buy this phone
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Kathryh Smith from South Wales on
31st Jan 2006
THE WORST PHONE I HAVE EVER PURCHASED..... had the phone for 15 days
and it white screened, I switched the phone off took battery out - replaced
it and couldn't get the phone back on. Rang network provider and they
replaced it received my new handset on the 7th December 2005 and now
30th January 2006 - guess what it doesn't work!!!! Rang manufacturer
to be told I have to send the handset in for repair... so great that
means not only am I with out a phone for prob. a month or so I have
to spend out on the postage aswell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SONY ERICSSON
ARE A PIECE OF >>>>>>>>>>>> I WILL NEVER GET ANOTHER CONTRACT PHONE
WITH THEM AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by hash from UK on 30th Jan 2006
good phone only few comments: - fidly but unique design - no memory
card slots - horrible orange-coloured cover (standard cover given free)
- no hole for your lanyard - can't charge phone and plug in ear phones!
- has a few software errors (download a games from o2 and it deleted
the other ones!) - easy and friendly user-interface - above average
reception - not imode compatible - the ear phones provided are not comfortable
and do not adapt for people with tiny ear lobes (teenagers) - fast and
easy computer connection - fair price at £150 on o2 - the buttons feel
like they will get stuck overall this phone is quite good and i will
be keeping it for a while thanx for reading my review
Rating:
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Reviewed by stuart from england on 29th Jan 2006
have not even had phone 1 day use the supplied software disc2phone and
low and behold the phones now totally white screened and cannot use
sending back and not getting another sony ericsson ever again
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Ste from England on 29th Jan 2006
mine and my friends will not work
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by kris from - on 29th Jan 2006
this phone is da bomb!!!! the menus r accesable nd the kepad is easy
to use. when opeed it fits nicley into the palm of your hand. the text
messages r a bit shabby nd there is no space to put a mini sd card in
but its got 256mb internal memory which is more than most phones e.g
motorola pepl,5mb internal memory!!!!wtf. so if you are thinking of
bying this phone, do it now NOW NOW!!!!!
Rating:
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Reviewed by Simon from uk on 26th Jan 2006
I had a samsung 600 which by all accounts is a top phone,but i had nothing
but problems with it and i looked to change models.I came across sony's
w550i and not only was impressed with its looks (as looks aint everything)i
was impressed with the features a usable mp3 player which is ample enough
for me,fm radio with rds aswell as being a high spec phone.Good camera,nice
alround I.M.O. Ive had mine for about a month now and have had no problems
with it whats so ever.Top phone couldnt be happier :)
Rating:
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Reviewed by A CHAPPELL from ENGLAND on 25th Jan
2006
I got this phone in december and i am very pleased with it. i have always
had nokia phones but i decided to go for something different and i am
glad i did . it took a bit of getting use to but it was worth it, the
menu system is very easy to understand and is quite user friendly. the
mp3 player is fantastic and gives out very good sounds, at the moment
i have 51 songs with room for more, for me this phone has got plenty
of memory, also the camera takes as good photos as any other mobile
phone camera that i have seen. the battery lasts ages and the phone
is just the right size to fit in your pocket with out getting in the
way. overall i think this phone looks great and it performs very well
and i would recommend this phone to any one.
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Reviewed by elle from england on 25th Jan 2006
ive had my fone 4 a few weeks now and i love it, i think it's brill!
Rating:
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Reviewed by androo from vietnam on 25th Jan 2006
its the best phone in the world !! great colour but .. only bad thing
is 256 mb.. ! u need 512..!=)
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Reviewed by big G from northern ireland on 25th
Jan 2006
i have had this little phone for 10 days now.it brill ! the screen is
crystal clear,games not bad,easy to use but the sounds are out of this
world for a phone.use the loud speaker to talk on the phone or listen
music.most things are are easy to use.the only down side is the keypad
is slightly harder to text on.the phone is used side on to play games
on and i think this is a great idea as it make use of the whole screen....great
phone.go and buy one now....touch wood i have had no problems with this
phone and i hope it stays this way.......this phone is something special..the
orange cover is a required taste but it is changable,but i think it
is coooooooooool..
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Reviewed by Lolly from UK on 22nd Jan 2006
after a few weeks after i submitted my last review for this phone, the
phone white screened 3 times within 2 weeks 1st and 2nd time it worked
after taking the battery in then out but the 3rd time it wouldnt work
after doing that so i sent it back to 02 but they will only replace
it with the same model which sucks as i really dont want to risk the
same problem happening again!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by i h8 moshers from england on 22nd
Jan 2006
dis phone is great buy it ive got the orange case on now because it
looks mint but i want a green caseiv ive got 38 songs 5 videos and 15
pics and 7 games and if your computer is slower than win 2000 your data
lead won't work so i used a bluetooth dongle which is easier and is
only 10:00 hope i helped {linden}
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Reviewed by Mike from England on 19th Jan 2006
as soon as i went into the o2 shop 2 see wot fones they had i saw this
nd new it wos guna be sumfin special. ive given it 4 starts purely becos
i think it shood hav bigger memory or at leest a memory thing 2 put
it in like the w800i and the w900i. But otherwise the camera,walkman,games
hav bin absolutly perfect! coodnt be happier with it.it hasnt white
screened or anyfin els like that eiver.best fone ive had so far
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Reviewed by Hamid from Iran on 21st Jan 2006
Quite Good, Not Only Provide You With The Feature of Walkman but also
shows off the outstanding look.
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Reviewed by Jamie Collins from UK on 20th Jan
2006
This phone confuses me. I got it in mid-december and was chuffed with
it. After about a week problems developed and I'm waiting to replace
it. If you get a working one, 4 stars. If you experience the common
problems, 2 stars. My advice, Don't buy it, you can get a SE V600/608
for roughly the same price and it's miles better!
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Reviewed by Ian T from UK on 18th Jan 2006
Not a bad little phone but the key-lock on the side of the phone is
very tempremental, I'm often getting the phone out of my pocket to find
the lock has been turned off and I've been connected to the Internet.
Also, you can't change the font size of text messages and they can be
quite difficult to read unless you have perfect eyesight.
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Reviewed by Debs from uk on 17th Jan 2006
Great phone, has everything you need and more, don't think i shall be
going back to nokia again. If you are considering buying this snazzy
baby...i suggest you go for it.
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Reviewed by Sav from UK on 16th Jan 2006
Fantastic phone, very impressed, has tons of memory and is alot better
than some phones on the market within the price range. I have found
bluetooth easy to use and transfering mp3s and pics from pc to phone
and vice versa simple and straight forward. I wasn't sure which phone
to buy at first and narrowed it down to this or the samsung D500, sooo
glad i decided on this one :) I love it!!!
Rating:
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Reviewed by shane from australia on 16th Jan 2006
i have owned ths phone for 3 weeks and i've replaced it 3 times. The
sound never work, so i sleep in all the time, it white screens, the
cameras memory doesn't work half the time, and then after taking picturess
it switches off, it keeps vibrating even after you answer the phone,
and the only way to stop it vibrating is turn the thing off!! I wouldn't
recomend this phone to anyone, its an absolute bit of junk!!!! Oh yeah,
one more thing, the first call or message you send at the start of the
day, that will switch it of to, so yeah,don't buy this phone.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by khalid from syria on 12th Jan 2006
i think this fone is wonderful i have had itr for two days and i have
to say i am really impressed by the walkman and camera feature if only
they had put in a slot for mem cards like the W900i. the camera, radio,
walkman, bluetooth everything works fine dunno what some of the people
are on about but you know some just like complaining. i love the orange
colour and the themes are excellent. could have better ringtones tho.
the headphones are beautiful and the quality is bloody amazing.it has
3 external speakers and it just blows u away. it cannot be put into
words. dont buy this phone please cuz i wanna be the only one with an
outstanding phone
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Reviewed by Khurram Javed from Pakistan on 12th
Jan 2006
its a unique set but i m getting a bit software prob such as screen
goes white 4 a while otherwise i like this phone. its the 1st sony ericsson
phone that i m using after alot of nokia, samsung, motorolla, lg, and
panasonic sets and i found it better but i alwayz recommend samsung
for better screen/ cam results.
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Reviewed by Thebe from Botswana on 12th Jan 2006
The design is very unique and the button placements makes it fun to
work with. The camera is relatively good and I enjoy the music features.
The only drawback so far that's a bit disappointing is that the rotatable
screen doesn't go 360 degrees. Still a great phone though...
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Reviewed by rui from spain on 11th Jan 2006
a great design but full of flaws, this is my third model in one mouth(yeah
3 replaces), usb malfunction, hungs up in java aplications, the white
screen problem,, etc... and today... i cant get to power up this BAD
BUILD phone, so this will be my last sonyericsson, im gonna change it
for a motorola or something, my sincere advice stay away from this phone,
cute but...silly!!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by ashiq from singapore on 10th Jan 2006
gr8 phone!!!has all da features... i rate 4 out of five as cameras have
come into the 2 mp region
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Reviewed by Iwan from Wales on 7th Jan 2006
This phone is amazing, so glad I changed from my useless Nokia!
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Reviewed by George from Greece on 7th Jan 2006
Don't buy it.It is so simple.It gets stucked all the time and the bluetooth
doesn;t work.After reflashing it the problems still occur.I send it
back to the service center and i got it back with the same problems.It
is a nice looking phone but has serious problems with its firmwire and
software.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Newton from Singapore on 7th Jan 2006
I just got this phone not long ago and have been very happy about it.
Personally i did not like all 3 colours which they provided and would
apprecate if they could produce other colors like green or lighter blue.
All in all, the phone rocks as a mp3 player and game system is excellent.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Alex from UK on 5th Jan 2006
Although this phone has most things you'd want, it's a bit chunky and
the swivel mechanism is awkard. I also found the fact that it has no
slot for a memory card extremely annoying as 256MB of internal memory
just isn't enough. I've had it for 2 days and am sending it back and
swapping it for a W800i
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Reviewed by Nad from England on 5th Jan 2006
A hot phone, more importantly, a hot ORANGE phone! ;] Cannot fault it
really, the only downside is the memory. You say there's enough for
around seventy songs, yet the first thing I did when I got the phone
was upload some tracks, around thirty...and the memory has basically
been zapped! =P Not good, but I'm sure I'll survive. Everything else
is just pure amazingness though, even the simple things like how the
keys glow orange just wows me, haha, but it doesn't take much to impress
moi xP So all in all, pretty much a top phone =]
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Reviewed by prd from england on 3rd Jan 2006
one of the most stylish looking mobiles around, with lots of good features,
ive had the phone for a couple of weeks and i think it is great, it
really stands out in front of a crowd, the mp3 player is great and i
have already fitted more than the 75 songs that it is stated to fit!!
would definatly recommend to anyone wanting to purchase a new phone!
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Reviewed by Pete from UK on 2nd Jan 2006
This Sony W550i 'Walkman' mobile phone really rocks, it looks great
and sounds even better, mp3 sound quality through supplied (above average
quality) head phones is excellent as are all the other features. I have
owned many Nokia phones before including the 7210 and 6310i but this
sony product tempted me away from the Nokia brand and I have no regrets
whatsoever. Supplied with easy to use CD ripping software and used in
conjunction with a bit rate of 128k bps this unit easily holds four
albums with high quality sound. Just buy it you won’t regret it.
Through headphones the sound is really good and through a home stereo
system this walkman will blow you completely and utterly away. Oh and
did I forget to mention it’s also a phone as well and a reasonably
good digital camera ....... what more could you want.
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Reviewed by Paula from Norway on 1st Jan 2006
This phone is very very good!! Not just the design wotks great for using,
but the functions are fun AND very easy to work with. The functionalities
are many and it is very speciall, with a good mp3 player. LOve it!!!
Rating:
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Reviewed by Lee from UK on 1st Jan 2006
Hiya Ive often looked at this site when choosing a new mobile (which
is very often!) and am pleased to finally have a phone I want to write
my own review on. I change my phone regularly either through Carphone
Warehouses' 90 day opt out insurance or by getting yet another contract,
Ive tried nearly all of them, K750i, D500, E720, to name but a few,
and currently D600, which I must add is now going back next week. But
the W550i beats them all hands down! It took me a couple of days to
get used to it and figure out how to transfer songs onto the mp3 player
and very nearly took it back until i discovered the shop had given me
the wrong software! Once I had the right stuff it was well easy! I agree
with most that its a shame the memory cant be extended but its easy
to live with, all great loves come with some flaws!! I hate using bluetooth
so was always missing calls in the car as driving and talking is 1 of
my pet hates even though its illegal it galls me to see other people
flout the law! My current D600 was useless to hear my caller using handsfree
but I made a call the other day using speaker phone with the W550i and
it was so clear I couldve sworn the other person was in the car with
me! The keys take some getting used to and I have quite small hands
but Im getting there and I havent needed them much. Not sure what else
to write about this phone other than its absolutely fantastic and would
highly recommend it to anyone! It looks gorgeous and its packed with
loads of wonderful features, too many to mention.
Rating:
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Reviewed by george 24 from greece on 31st Dec
2005
this phone is great,the sound is great the mobile camera can take picturs
beatiful.there is and mp3,radio,bluetuth and also there are and bass
with media player.
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Reviewed by luke from wales on 31st Dec 2005
i fink this is a gr8 fone 1 fing tho bout the camera dosent zoom in
but other then tha it is an awesome phone im well happy avin it as my
phone :D
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Reviewed by Cat from Ireland on 31st Dec 2005
Ive now had this phone for a week, I am very pleased so far. I'm starting
to run out of memory now, but I have 60 songs which isn't at all bad!
Lovely looking, its got some wonderful features that who-ever thought
of adding should get a pat on the back! One problem has occured however
when my MP3 file went corrupt and then missing completely. After numerous
attempts to get it back I concluded this was impossible, but it still
plays MP3s without the file. Wierd, but as long as it doesnt et any
worse! I was also suprised to hear ppl say the battery life was good-
unfortunately mine lasts 1-2 days! I guess its because I use the MP3
player so much! These are my only 2 complaints though, I truly love
this phone! Reccommended.
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Reviewed by lewie05 from england on 30th Dec 2005
great phone i would recomend it to ne 1 it the best
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Reviewed by R4u from GREECE on 29th Dec 2005
Nice phone unstuppable design juct a little big.The best quality of
sound from the dubble sterephonics with megabass and u can dawnload
up to 110 hits.He had a camera 1.3 mpx with 262.000 k
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Reviewed by Simon from Scotland on 27th Dec 2005
Exellent phone for students like me and some of the people i know at
uni, good price (now £149.99) plenty of memory and features, a memory
card would have been nice but as most of us have laptops or pcs that
we use regularly its not really a problem, overall for a reasonable
price phone its pretty good
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Reviewed by Alex G from UK on 27th Dec 2005
This phone is excelent. Great everything: screen, games, menu, layout,
speaker, keypad, basiclly everything except for the software that comes
with it. DISC2PHONE IS EVIL. as sone as you use this programe it rewrites
the firmware, it uploads something onto the phone so that it white screens
making it not work AT ALL. i have sent it back to o2 and should be getting
a new one sometime soon. i dont plan to be using the software next time.
SPREAD THE WORD!!! DONT USE DISC2PHONE, USE MY MP3 PRO OR SOMETHING
ELSE EXCEPT DISC2PHONE....
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Reviewed by Oliver from England on 26th Dec 2005
This is a brilliant phone ive only had it for two days and i am amazed
with everything it can do and also the quality of everything. Best phone
you could ever bye absolutely brilliant!!!!!
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Reviewed by Simi from UK (england) on 26th Dec
2005
i got this fone yesterday on x mas.. n itz amazinggg! it has absoloutly
everything and i just loe it.. the camera is vvv good...the sound quality
fab and everyting.. the battery.. just an amazing fone...go and buy
1!!!!
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Reviewed by Timo from England on 26th Dec 2005
I've just bought this to replace my Nokia 3230. So far so good, never
had a Sony b4 and I must say I'm really pleased. The feel of it's nice
and smooth, I can text 1 handed (the rest of you should try concentrating
on driving instead). Compared to the 3230 the camera isn't that much
different, no zoom tho but at least you get some light. I don't think
you need much more than 256Mb for a phone, if you want an mp3 player
buy an mp3 player. The sound is fantastic for it's size, stereo too.
I haven't tried bluetooth and did have some problem getting the software
to load onto my PC, but the file transfer rate just blows the Nokia
to the kerb. Apart from txting there's no real need to roll open the
phone, the menu's are if anything better than Nokia's and as a Nokia
nut that's a great compliment. I would recommend this phone to anyone.
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Reviewed by Dan from Ebgland on 21st Dec 2005
1 word descrobes this phones outstanding!!
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Reviewed by davy mac from n. ireland on 21st Dec
2005
great phone, a real head turner unlike nokia 6230i i had before, blows
it away completely in every respect, £179 on o2 pay & go, then take
off £20 for trade in with a really old phone that didnt work + £20 of
credit put on sim, not a bad price either, maybe even better after xmas.
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Reviewed by Lolly from UK on 19th Dec 2005
I got this phone nearly 3 weeks ago on 02 online 100 contract and love
most things about the phone! the only problem i have with it is having
the keypad lock button on the side as it can be turned off in my bag
which is very annoying as it can then go onto the internet which i dont
want it to do! all in all this is better than any of the past phones
ive had since the begining of 2004 (nokia 3200, nokia 3220, sony ericsson
z600, motorola v600, samsung e700, motorola c550, sendo m550,nec e228
and the siemens A51)
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Reviewed by Deepak from India on 19th Dec 2005
I have been using this phone for nearly 3 weeks now, and am very happy
with it. It seems I am the only one having this wherever I go and everybody
compliments me for this phone. :) The swivel action is unique and when
people I know try to open it they do get confused and I have to tell
them the way and they're like WOW!!! The sound quality is amazing, even
at 64 kbps, the Disc2Phone s/w is cool. It even plays the video on fullscreen.
The games are supercool, I like the Worms3D. And have downloaded a horde
of other games like MotoGp, MotoRaces and rainbox Six etc. The camera
quality is not superb but it gives good size photos and if the light
is appropriate they come out looking good. My friends are impressed
and many are waiting for the price to go down so they could grab it.
:) I have aroung 50 songs at 64kbps, 5-6 clips of abt 2-3 minutes and
the usual themes, ringtones, wallpapers and still have about 100MB space
free. Would have given it 5 stars if only it would not hang sometimes,
specially when you are using java apps and get a phone call in between.
My advice go for it!!
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Reviewed by Jason from USA on 10th Dec 2005
I bought this phone when in the UK as it is not yet released in the
US. Although I had reservations about the phone working in the US, I
am now completely satisfied with the excellent network coverage. The
features of the phone are oustanding. Video/Still Camera, MP3 Player
& Radio are particularly excellent. I've never before been compelled
to write a review for a phone, until now. An excellent model and definately
recommended. PS. Elle - you can't give the phone a "Poor" rating because
you bought it from a dodgy seller! Blame the seller, not the phone.
I've had no problems whatsoever with mine.
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Reviewed by Damian from UK on 9th Dec 2005
I recently obtained this phone as an upgrade,when I spoke to my service
provider I was considering a Nokia N70 or even a Nokia 6680, but the
prices for both seemed to vary by the minute! The tele operator recommended
the phone and the first thing I did was look it up on this site and
some other review sites I know of. I must say that I am very impressed
with it. I upgraded from a motorola v600 and was looking for the best
thing on the market but with a minimal contract fee. This phone has
by far exceeded my expectations,the menu functions scroll smoothly,the
contact integration is far better than that provided by motorola. The
phone seems to offer 2 different ways to go online, 1 being the usual
O2 stuff and the other being the sony ericcson stuff. This is a great
compromise. Last week I bought an LG U880 on the 3 network and whilst
I was impressed with the instant video stuff, it only worked in 1 room
in my house,and did not revert to the standard WAP when in an out of
service area.If you're a sports fan and want instant accsess to results
the "three" approach is a disaster, it's like going from a Roll Royce
to a Ford Popular. You can either watch all the goals or you get nothing!
That said this critism is more about networks than phones. The W550i
must cater for all markets, as far as I can tell (so far) all the grown
up applications work fully ,
and yet more fun..... The younger applications work well for us grown
ups!(I am 32). The w550i gives a large enough amount of memory for most
(unless your seriously into videos) and provides the richest sound I
have ever heard from a mobile. Sony use a system called "sound widening"
which gives a stereo effect from a mono unit (such as the handset),this
provides a deep sonority to what you are hearing which is actually of
better quality than some of the radios in my house. Speaking of radios,
I recently bought a Roberts mobile DAB digital and combined FM RDS radio
for £100 and I can confirm that the (RDS FM) radio on this phone exceeds
the quality of my very expensive personal radio.This might be down to
the fact that Sony provide exceptional headsets with the phone (in keeping
with the Walkman image) and that those headsets extensively reduce external
noise. Its also worth mentioning that gaming and photography on this
phone is exceptional as compared to anything in this price range. Also
the reception is far greater in my area than my previuos Motorola phone.
One niggle I have is with the PC software provided,which insists that
your phone is unconnected before you start (although I managed to bypass
this with bluetooth,which worked well for me). In all this is the only
phone I have ever owned that I have had no reservations about. I generally
send phones back within the first few days as I find that we are incompatable,but
in this case that will not happen,you can easily move from any OS to
Sony Ericsson (although some might find it overly simplistic). In short
this phone does everything it says on the box and more. I defy you to
find a better phone.
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Reviewed by Matt from England on 8th Dec 2005
WOW! This phone is great. I use my phone for business and I change it
all the time. I've just got fed up with my old D500 locking up all the
time and when I looked for a replacement the W550i really caught my
eye. I thought it might be a little too much 'fun' for a business user
like me but its flippin brilliant. It does everything I want as a business
user and it has a great camera and mp3 player too. The mp3 player is
fantastic, as good as an IPOD for quality and ease of use (if a little
limited on memory - but who needs more than 80 songs?), even with the
built in speakers it sounds full and rich and can fill a small room
with music. No probs with the keypad either, texts are easy. I have
had mobiles for over ten years and recently upgrading has really boring
- they're all pretty much the same. The stores are awash with little
grey and black and silver camera phones that all offer the same features.
At last a phone I can get excited about. It's Orange! (and I don't mean
the network) It's got everything! It's got some great extras that other
phones don't, and it works !! Need a new phone ? Get a W550i. Mobile
just got fun again!
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Reviewed by Elle from Scotland on 8th Dec 2005
Like another reviewer mine white screened after 2 weeks and could only
be powered off by taking battery out. Bought on the net from a .com
seller who advided I send it back to Sony Ericsson. Will have to fight
it out with them and the seller re a rental rebate. (I feel a sore head
coming on - stay clear of distance selling - buy direct from a shop!)
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Reviewed by Amnesiac from UK on 7th Dec 2005
Only got this phone two days ago but really chuffed with it. As a Nokia
girl I was a bit worried bout changing over as I also have a K700i which
not that happy with but this one is great. Totally unique, great new
gadgets on it & the transfer of files/music is childs play. Battery
is superb unlike the K7001 which I was charging every day. Couple of
gripes - keylock button on side good idea but when phone in pocket knocks
it off all the time & quite hard to open with one hand. Apart from that
all fine & dandy.
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Reviewed by ian from England on 5th Dec 2005
I took this phone as a free upgrade from O2 last week on the strength
of its battery duration and Bluetooth capability. The 1.3 MP camera
and MP3 features were an added bonus. No probs with the battery, 4 solid
days of playing with it and still 17% battery left. On the Bluetooth
side I feel really let down - sometimes the W550i doesn't automatically
detect my headset (Sony-Ericsson HBH-35) so I have to go through the
menus to connect it manually, even though Bluetooth is switched on on
the W550i. Most annoyingly for me, when an incoming Bluetooth call arrives,
it doesn't auto answer. Not good, especially when you're driving. I
know it's not the headset because it worked fine with my old Motorola
V525. In a call to the Sony Ericsson helpline this afternoon I was told
that 'the auto answer feature for Bluetooth headsets was removed because
they kept on picking up other Bluetooth devices.' And apparently that's
the same for all Sony Ericsson handsets, I was told. Seems crazy to
me. Very disapponting, it will have to go back for a swap because that
feature is very important to me. Thanks for the Rant :-)
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Reviewed by Martin from Northern Ireland on 2nd
Dec 2005
One word describes this phone-"Bluetoothless". I am on my second handset
as the first one would only occasionally decide to communicate with
my Bluetooth headset. Unfortunately its replacement is worse! I love
everything else about the phone and will therefore try a third one,
if offered. This is my first Sony Ericcson phone and I fear it may be
my last.
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Reviewed by Ali Ahmad from Pakistan on 30th Nov
2005
this phone is amazing if u want to buy a cell with excellent features
i will recomad this cell phone
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Reviewed by Azz from England on 28th Nov 2005
**** Having had and used this phone for 4 days I am happy I spent £300
for one, and still the only person to have this phone at my university.
Being the second phone to have the covet Walkman stamp, it has lived
up to all its hype, and being a phone playing music is still a pleasure
on this peace of craftsmanship. Though twisting the phone from the bottom
is a bit complex for one hand, they made the phone I such a way that
it’s not really that necessary to open it to perform most tasks.
The sound when making a call is crystal clear and one of the best I
have heard from a mobile, the same to be said about the cover speakers
which are extraordinarily loud, clear and with bass. As for games, the
phone is in to the world of the ngage styling where you can use two
hands to play. Having also had my hands on a w800i which has the some
functions + a memory card slot I would still happily go for the w550i
purely that the w550i looks and feels different from the w800i which
looks just like any other phone apart from its funky colour. If you
are a music lover and need a phone this is the one to get. If you are
a follower of fashion you would look top with this. ****
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Reviewed by Pip from England on 26th Nov 2005
Super phone! Great quality games and videos. It's very easy to add music
with the new software and has lots of space to put it on. Definatly
recommended.
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Reviewed by matt from uk on 26th Nov 2005
after being a nokia user for alot of years i found myself buying a t20e
ericsson some years back now and i havent looked back, since then ive
only ever bought sony ericsson mobile phones the j70 which was great
at the time, t68i k500i,k700i and recently i found myself with a problem
all my mates were saying how great their k750i's and w800i's were but
i didnt want to be 1 of the sheep so i hit the net (namely sony) and
came across an amazing box of tricks known as the w550i it wasnt even
available on any of the networks at the time so i had to have 1. So
i contacted sony and to my amazement they offered me a sim free 550
at a nice price and that was that ive owned it a few months now and
it truly is fantastic its become known as the hifi with all my mates
bcoz of the brilliant sound quality 1 already as 1 on order and 2 others
are getting rid of their e500s so nice 1 sony keep pulling in new followers
TO anyone whose afraid of change trust me its for the best SONY RULE!
!!!!!!!!
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Reviewed by Matt from UK on 26th Nov 2005
I had this phone for a week before it whitescreened upon switching it
on and got stuck eternally until the battery ran out with just the white
screen sitting there. I replaced the phone via o2 and they sent me one
which would not take mine or anyone else's sim cards properly. I inserted
the sim card into the phone in the conventional way and got "Insert
sim" (no please, there I noticed.) I finally found a way of putting
the sim in the phone and getting it to function but it would always
"fall out" within 10 minutes of using the phones features. Though this
annoyed me, I persisted with this phone, and got a second replacement.
Which happily whitescreened within a couple of days of receiving it.
It seems from looking at all the other reviews of this phone that I
have managed to receive the only three versions of this phone that have
problems. Needless to say if o2 allow me to have a third replacement
I will suggest to them that they do not send me this model again.
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Reviewed by JimmyP from England on 22nd Nov 2005
I've had this phone for less than a week now and already want to change
it. Had big problems with the bluetooth functions and the speed of applications.
Cannot use with one hand while texting and then you have to flip the
phone round when you open it up. Only good thing is the camera's ease
of use and the sound quality. Would'nt reccomend to anyone, but i may
have been just unlucky.
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Reviewed by Gaurav from India on 20th Nov 2005
I have had the phone for four days now and i must say i am totally satisfied
with it's looks and performance. the sound blew me. the orange colour
looks great. i have currently 49 mp3s, around 20 pics and two videos(35
secs)(excluding the ones originally supplied) and still have 45 mb space
free. the swivel design is refreshing(though it seldom comes to use,
unless u r into heavy smsing). screen quality is awesome. it is fun
using cam during daytime. drawbacks: 1. i couldnt take satisfactory
pics in low nighting. it might be because of my incapacity to configure
it properly. 2. the phone has to be turned around after opening-frustrating
at times. all in all, value for money. i love it and am proud to own
it. recommended to all.
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Reviewed by Sophie from England, Cramlington on
20th Nov 2005
This phone looks good, sounds good but most of all is amazing!! The
camera is really really good. Quality pictures! The music on it is top
notch and a adaptle phone! i love it, it's unique i'm unique. Perfect
match!!!
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Reviewed by bobetta Franklin from Nigeria on 20th
Nov 2005
DIS FONE IS BRILYANT. I TINK DAT DIS IS D BEST FONE EVER MADE! THE CAMERA
IS BRILLYANT AND THE MUUSIK IS GRATE! IF YOU R LOOKIN FOR A TOP OF THE
RANGE FONE THEN THIS IS THE ONE THAT I RECOMEND U TOOO GET! BRILLYANT!
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Reviewed by Jarrod from Australia on 20th Nov
2005
ive had this phone for 2 days now and its great. The camera is excellent,
but you must make sure you hold it pretty steady when taking a photo.
The walkman feature is outstanding, the quality is great with the stereo
speakers and getting music [and data] to and from the phone is a breeze.
The ability to download themes to the phone is a great feature they
truely look excellent. The battery is good but not the best, if you
muck around and use it HEAPS [like camera, music video] then of course
the battery will drain, but the standby time is really good. I upgraded
from a Nokia N-Gage, and it was a good choice, i got kinda sick of nokia's
they seem so plain and boring, SE is a fresh feeling and i find that
using and navigating the SE is easy if you're used to nokia. I truly
recommend this phone, there is only one fault i can find with it and
that is that there is no memory slot for expansion, but this does not
bother me one bit because a) 256mb is plenty b) i have a 20gig iRiver
for music and videos c) It would use sony's memory stick duo©, and i
dont own one of those but i have plenty of MMC's and SD's lying around
my house. Getting this phone is an excellent option, SE have done a
really good job =)
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Reviewed by Paula from UK on 18th Nov 2005
I've had the phone for about 3 days now and on the whole it seems pretty
good. I've only got little hands but have real trouble texting. The
buttons are pretty small and the top row (1, 2, 3) seem too close to
the top part of the phone so my thumb can't get a proper footing so
to speak ;-)
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Reviewed by James from Philippines on 15th Nov
2005
I just bought this phone yesterday. Initially, I hadn't been sure I
liked the physical appearance. However, once the phone's lit, everything
about it just seems cool. The walkman feature is outstanding, while
the other features are also excellent. I love the THEMES and the games
of this phone! I'm glad I picked it over SE K600.
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Reviewed by Michael from Uk on 15th Nov 2005
Got this phone on an upgrade and its pretty good. walkman bit is top
and headphones also provide great quality music. only 2 things i dont
like about this phone is the lack of expandable memory and i find the
way the camera opens fairly annoying. interesting to begin with but
impossible 2 do with one hand! can become quite arkward as u have 2
turn the whole phone upside down! all in all a good phone but thinking
of gettin the k750i instead
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Reviewed by P close from Ireland on 13th Nov 2005
The W550i looks impressive, has a long list of features and works well
on all these. I feel its a bit large and heavy to fit comfotably in
my pocket. When you attach the headphones, it increases it size by a
further half an inch. The headphones supplied are of good quality. The
pause button takes a long press before it does anything. The new keylock
button on the side is quite a handy feature. Not a bad phone, I would
be lying if I called it outstanding or even excellent but it is a fairly
capable phone hence the 3 stars.
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Reviewed by Danger Bus from Preston, UK on 10th
Nov 2005
Only had this a couple of days after upgrading, but it's superb so far.
Haven't used all the functions as yet, but this is a superb product
from SE. After always being a Nokia user, I fancied a change to Sony
after friends recommended Samsungs and Sonys, and I'm delighted with
their advice. I like the option of changing the phone cover, and particularly
the twist mechanism to opening and closing the keypad.
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Reviewed by amy from UK on 10th Nov 2005
ive had this phone for a couple of days. i think the camera is fab,the
walkman is really good and there is a lot of memory. the only thing
that is disapointing is that the bluetooth can be really tempermental!
the phone tends to freeze when sending and recieving files via bluetooth.
not too keen on the colour but i suppose it makes the phone unique!
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Reviewed by Kat from England on 10th Nov 2005
I cannot understand some people's gripes about this phone. For a start
- who needs an expandable memory when you already have 256mb of phone
memory. This allows for hundreds of photos and video footage. I've upgraded
from the S700i, which is an excellent phone, and even with it's expanded
memory I barely used it to the combined memory maximum of 64mb. This
W550i looks fantastic - it is the S700i presented in a smaller package
and then some! I love the orange fascia and for those who gripe about
that, there are exchangable covers. The sound quality of this phone
is the best I've ever heard, the game graphics are excellent and navigation
couldn't be easier. Add on top of all that an MP3 player and the coveted
Walkman logo and I think I have a phone that will stay with me for a
long time.
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Reviewed by johanna from UK on 9th Nov 2005
i got this a week ago and i absolutely love it. i love its orignality,
its easy use, and if orange isn't your colour it comes with a change
in covers too, although to be honest i quite like the bright orange!
aesthetically it very pleasing to the eye and a little unusual to most
phones, which i think is great. Apart from all the that, the sound quality
is great, the memory is good for what i want it for -some pics and a
some good tunes! i would definitely recommend this phone - it's yet
another great phone from sony ericsson.
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Reviewed by S from UK on 9th Nov 2005
Just got phone on O2 200 + 100 txt. Great build quality & desing actually
smaller than my K750i when closed & screen looks slightly bigger. New
style themes look great but carn't find any yet to download :/ Camera
good but few niggles with zoom & stuff but overall excellent so how
come it is so cheep (about £100 UK difference) compaired to the W800
???????????????
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Reviewed by kalam from uk on 8th Nov 2005
the best phone u could ever get it has got every thing u could not go
wrong with it and it is a normal size it's an everyday phone exelant
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Reviewed by robert from uk on 8th Nov 2005
this phone is the same as s700 but with a walkman and many other little
bits it works perfectly
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Reviewed by Dan from England on 7th Nov 2005
Excellent phone. Has everything you want and all top quality. The only
thing is the blue tooth sometimes doesn`t work and when I try to turn
it on or off the phone crashes.
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Reviewed by PAUL from IRELAND on 6th Nov 2005
MY ONLY GRIPE WITH THIS PHONE IS ITS LACK OF A MEMORY STICK PORT. OTHERWISE
ITS VISUALLY STUNNING AND HAS EXCELLENT SOUND QUALITY FROM ITS TWO MAIN
SPEAKERS. THE FACT THAT IT ALLOWS YOU TO MOVE FILES ABOUT THE PHONE
IS A BIG PLUS AND ALSO THE QUALITY OF GRAPHICS IN ITS EMBEDDED GAMES
IS EXCELLENT
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Reviewed by adryano from indonesia on 6th Nov
2005
this is the best hp i ever had
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Reviewed by tommy from engaland on 5th Nov 2005
this phone is generally good phone but its a s700i with a button and
no expandable memory if u want a phone just as good (mayb even betta)get
a s700i or a orange spv c550 they r both cheaper and betta i hope u
find thsd info valuble :-)
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Reviewed by unknow from UK on 3rd Nov 2005
Greate phone!, Greate design!
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Reviewed by Rob Pell from UK on 1st Nov 2005
I had this phone for 3 days then it broke! My friend had one about 10
days, then it broke! They r rubbish! the features r excellent, but if
u want a fone that works for more than a few days then buy something
else!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Jake from England on 1st Nov 2005
this phone is really good the camera is great and the walkman feature
is mint
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Reviewed by kunal from INDIA on 29th Oct 2005
the price is donw now the only prob is no external slot for momory.
the resolution is good
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Reviewed by Sally from Uk on 27th Oct 2005
This Phone Is The Best You Can Get On The Market Today. It Beats Most
Phones And The Camera And Video Is Awesome. This Is A Great Phone If
You Are A Music Person And Has Loads Of Other Gadgets To. Defentinly
Beat All Other Phones!
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Reviewed by Tejas Raja from India on 25th Oct
2005
i had just purchased the phone its nice, better than the nokia 3230...the
sound clarity is good, the games inbuilt is good, the only problem it
the cover, the orange colour is not that good.. and should have given
a memory slot. that would have a better option...
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Reviewed by MOLAD from NIGERIA on 21st Oct 2005
THE PHONE IS QUITE OK FOR A BEGINNER.IF YOU ARE JUST PLANNING TO BUY
A PHONE YOU CAN START WITH THESE.BUT FOR PROFFESSIONALS LIKE ME,I'LL
RATHER GO 4 A BETTER PHONE.
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Reviewed by Muhammad Fahim from Pakistan on 17th
Oct 2005
Only the memory is good
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