Sony-Ericsson W580i Walkman Phone

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The Sony-Ericsson W580i Walkman Phone is a cell phone that’s designed with the music lover in mind. But more importantly, the phone doesn’t give up the important cell phone features in order to just be a fancy music player.

The W580i strikes us as a very balanced phone. Both music and phone service seem to work well in equal measure. We’d be happy if this were the only device we were allowed to use for either role, although as a camera or a data device it’s merely passable compared to other devices in its class. That the cost of the phone was actually lower than the m620 despite better features, costing about $300 Canadian ($285 US) versus the $350 ($332) for the Samsung, also makes it a much better value. We’d go so far as to say it’s a great device for the money spent.

At the same time, we’re not quite ready to say that it’s an ideal choice in absolute terms. The song ordering problem is a serious blunder for a phone which is smartly designed in every other instance. Rogers’ software layer also seems to hinder more than it helps. Additionally, you can easily question the wisdom of Rogers bundling a larger 2GB Memory Stick Micro with a 3-year contract; it’s simply an attempt to draw unsuspecting buyers into a long-term plan. We’d rather opt for a shorter term (or none at all) and put up the extra $50 Canadian for the extra space ourselves.

As cell phones become more complex in their features, it’s getting tougher to choose just one that will the best job for any user. The W580i Walkman Phone is available in Canada from Rogers.

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