Incredible Value for $50 (with Service)

I got the Sony Ericsson w580i when it was promoted for $50 with a two-year AT&T contract. Compared to other phones in the under $100 price range, the w580i seemed quite stylish and contemporary in design. It also boasted a wide range of features including mp3 player capability and the ability to transfer files with a computer via USB. When deciding on which phone to get, I was down to the SE w580i and the LG Shine as my finalists (both were slider phones at $50 with service), and eventually decided on the w580i because it was less bulky while still feeling solid and durable.


The Basics

In this day and age, there are certain features that I almost expect from any phone. Such include an easy-to-use interface, a camera, and vibration. The w580i had all those features and way more than I expected.

The user interface took me a little bit of getting used to, mainly because my last phone was a Samsung and the previous two or three were Motorola. However it did not take too long, and soon I was busy clicking away at the buttons, texting, personalizing the settings, and taking pictures.

The 2.0 megapixel camera functions as well as a typical cell phone camera. I do not really know how good or bad 2.0 megapixels is for a cell phone camera, but the pictures are in reasonable quality. (Note: they do not seem to be the same as a 2.0 megapixel digital camera -- the ones taken on a cell are considerably grainier and lower in overall quality.) There is no flash option on the w580i; instead, the image attempts to adjust to the darkness, and there are several different shooting modes to help accomodate taking pictures in the darkness. I cannot say that the different shooting modes make that much of a difference, but I suppose it's better than nothing. As with most cell phones with cameras, you can store and send these photos, but with the w580i you can also transfer them to your computer with the USB cable -- as long as you have an additional memory unit (M2). That's one thing that they fail to tell you (and do not really mention clearly in the instruction booklet) with regard to the file transfer capability, but I'll get back to that later.

On the front of the phone is a button that takes you to Walkman mode. Walkman mode lets you listen to mp3s stored in the phone or phone memory unit. This is certainly a great asset to have in a cell phone, because for those without iPods or other mp3 player units, this phone functions as one. Even if one already owned an mp3 player, it's nice to be able to not have to carry it and instead use the w580i as a player during shorter trips. Once you have a memory unit, you can drag and drop mp3s from your computer to your phone via USB, which is a convenient feature to say the least.

Another button on the front takes you directly to internet access, which I personally found to be more of a detriment than an asset as I do not have internet included in my monthly service. More on this later.

I have no complaints about the audio on this phone, as I am able to hear from it in both regular and speaker mode just fine. Some users have mentioned that at higher volumes the sound quality worsens, but I feel that relative to other similar phones on the market the w580i stacks up fine.

The battery life is quite reasonable for a phone of this size. With sparing use, the battery can last as long as three to four days. When used frequently for calling, texting, or as a Walkman, it will need to be charged every day or two. I have been using this phone for over five months now and the battery life shows no signs of diminishment.


Loaded with Extra Features

The w580i can store up to 1,000 phone book entries, each with up to five numbers, e-mail and web address, though that seems to be more than excessive for most users. Callers can be paired with photos and specialized ringtones, which is particularly nice when the phone is on vibrate.

As with most phones, the w580i comes with several organizer related features, such as an alarm clock. It also has a calendar, task list and notepad. The phone also has a voice memo recorder, for which I would recommend getting a memory unit to use, as phone memory is rather small and will get taken up pretty quickly with photos and whatnot. The w580i also boasts full bluetooth technology.

One thing I found rather nifty were the fitness related features, including a pedometer, stopwatch, and even a "fitness tracker" which helps keep track of how many calories one burns while walking or jogging.


Little Things that Annoy Me About this Phone

There were a few things that I did not like about this phone. I did not like how the buttons for Walkman mode and Internet were on the front of the phone, where they could easily be pressed by accident if I were carrying the phone in my pocket. Since I do not get internet in my monthly plan, I occasionally get billed because my phone accesses the internet while the buttons get pressed by accident. It's quite a nuisance and I have not been able to figure out a way to reassign the button or anything.

The alarm mode does not seem to work with vibrate (it does not offer the option). I really wish there was a way for the phone to alert me at certain times with a vibrate instead of an obnoxious alarm tone, but again I have not been able to find a way to do this, and the instructions are terse at best.

The File Transfer feature does not work properly (if at all) without a memory unit. A memory unit is vital for many of the features of the phone, so I would highly suggest purchasing one along with the phone. The type of card required for this phone is the M2 memory unit.

Cell phones in general (the w580i included) seem to be adopting more and more obnoxious ringtones in place of the traditional/standard rings. I am personally not a fan of this.


Solid Product Overall, Incredible Value

For $50, the Sony Ericsson w580i was a steal. Between its features and appearance, I would highly recommend this phone to someone with a limited budget. Similar phones at the AT&T retailer I went to were priced at $150 or more, and for non AT&T users this phone apparently retails at $269.


Specs, Etc.

General: 2G Network (GSM 850/900/1800/1900); Released July 2007
Size: 99 X 47 X 14mm; 94g
Display: TFT, 256K color; 240 X 320 pixels, 2 inch screen
Ringtones: Polyphonic (72ch), MP3, AAC; Vibration
Features:  Bluetooth v2.0; USB 2.0; 2.0MP Camera (1600X1200)