Sony Ericsson W900i [Review]

Sony Ericsson W900i Specs:

* Dimensions: 4.2 in. (width)* × 1.9 in. (length) × 0.9 in. (depth)
* Weight: 5.2 oz.
* Screen Type/Size: TFT, 256K colors / 240 x 320 pixels, 1.2 x 1.7 in.
* GSM Coverage: Tri-band (900, 1800 and 1900 MHz bands) [should work in most parts of NA, EU and Asia]
* features GPRS, Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0
*when closed (6.4 in. when opened)

Remember that this is an unlocked GSM phone! As such, it requires a GSM provider to use (such as Cingular.) For those of you in the USA, Verizon is not GSM based!

Packaging
The W900i comes in a large plastic box, nicely displaying the phone and the included remote. The box itself plays on the orange Walkman theme, and while nothing special, it's certainly nice to look at. The packaging includes, specifically, the W900i, the remote, instruction manuals, Disc2Phone software, and the usual yada-yada warranty and legal info.

First Impressions
When the mobile phone arrived via UPS, I took one look at it and wondered if I made a mistake. The phone seems to be very large, and appears like it might be heavy. But, as I've learned time and time again, you can't judge a book by its cover. It only looks big and heavy. Once you hold it, it's actually quite comfortable, and not all that heavy. The physical dimensions of the gadget are 4.2 in. (width)* × 1.9 in. (length) × 0.9 in. (depth), and it weighs 5.2 oz. *when closed (6.4 in. when opened) See? That's not so bad. One thing that strikes me as ironic is how much this phone stands out against other phones such as the Motorola RAZR, SLVR, etc. While the current trend seems to be making phones that are small and thin, the W900i is unique in that it isn't at all small and thin, but still has a great ergonomic design.

One thing that I was rather skeptical from initially holding the phone was the way you have to access the keypad. Unlike nearly every other Wxxx series phone, which is "candy bar" style, the W900i uses a "jack knife" form factor, or a design where you must swivel the keypad into position. Think of it like an inverted slider. I was skeptical not because of the design, but of the design integration. In the past, I've seen slider phones literally wear out. But fortunately, my first impression of the swivel action was favorable. Sony Ericsson did a great job of making the connection nice and tight. It's very easy to swing out the keypad whenever you need it. In fact, the W900i is semi-automatic in this regard, and you can actually swing out the keypad really quick, like a sheath knife. However, it's hard to do that when closing the keypad. You usually have to use two hands. Don't ask why. Now that I've played with this type of form factor for a while, I must say it's a pretty cool idea. It protects the keypad, unlike a candy bar style, but does so at the compromise of adding thickness to the unit.

Sony Ericsson OS
The W900i marks my first experience with a Sony Ericsson phone. Luckily, it wasn't too difficult to get the hang of it. Like my old Nokia, much of the OS is a GUI, driven by large, colorful icons that make it very clear what each button press will do. I found the hardest part of adopting to Sony Ericsson wasn't the OS, but the buttons on the phone themselves. Since every manufacturer uses their own lingo and commands, it took me a while to figure out how to actually call someone. But once I did, using the phone that second time was a breeze. To date, I still haven't played around with every little setting, but I have figured out the basics, like operating the digital camera, using the Walkman, etc.

Build Quality
Phone Materials
The phone itself feels very solid. Nothing creaks or moans whatsoever. As I noted earlier, the swinging hinge is very sturdy, and you needn't worry about it breaking off. However, like in the Sony Ericsson K750i, the Memory Stick Duo Pro slot is still a bit of an issue. When you initially open it, it will hardly move. You have to tug at it pretty hard before it will breakaway, giving you access to the port. Don't worry if it sounds like it's breaking the first time you open the flap; it's normal for it to bend. Other than that, the construction is great. The phone is made out of plastic, but it feels like a high quality plastic, almost metallic. This is a phone that can definately take a beating. Of course, as I've already stated, such quality produces a thick unit, though at 0.9 in. in thickness, it's only 0.2 inches thicker than the W810. So, you really won't be able to feel much of a difference. It will still fit in your pocket.

Calling Volume
But what about the sound quality? After all, a mobile phone may have lots of things built into it, but it's still a phone at heart, so good sound quality means everything. Fortunately, I have no real complaints here. I could hear the person on the other end of the line very well, and the phone has a large enough speaker so that I can hear my phone ring even in a loud area, like a shopping mall. You can also plug in a pair of earbuds (included with the phone) for better sound isolation, or hands-free operation. And like most phones, there is also a loudspeaker option.

Phone Apps
Digital Camera
The W900i has a built-in 2.0 megapixel digital camera. I've never had a camera phone before this one, so it'd be biased to say this is the best camera phone I've ever owned. However, I have played with a Motorola RAZR in the past, and the built-in VGA camera on that model doesn't touch the quality that you can get with this megapixel camera. Like the other Walkman phones, the camera features auto-focus technology, which is a welcome addition. One downside is that the camera lens isn't protected anymore by a lens cover, which was present on the K750i. However, the camera lens is now recessed into the back of the phone, so it still protected to a slight degree.

Digital Video Recorder
The W900i can also record video feeds. While the digital camera is very good, the same cannot be said for the video feeds. They are of fairly low quality, as the resolution is not as sharp as the still photos. (I believe video feeds are limited to 600×800 VGA.) While the quality can be labeled as "decent," the W900i cannot replace a dedicated digital video recorder. Speaking of video feeds, there is actually a second, smaller VGA camera on the front of the phone, which is designed to record yourself in video conversations, which are (obviously) supported by the W900i. Again, the same low quality restrictions apply, so this also can't replace a dedicated video phone. Think of it more as a novelty or a bonus than a true feature.

Walkman
This is the selling point of the entire Wxxx series. The integrated Walkman on this phone is great! You have one-touch access to it, and you can also run the phone solely as a MP3 player, freeing up battery life. New to the W900i are two things, though. First, you can now operate the Walkman without ever touching the phone itself. It can all be controlled from the included remote. Secondly, you can now downloads songs wirelessly, with a new service from Sony Ericsson. Personally, I don't use it, but at least the option is there. I would imagine that future phones in the Wxxx series will include this service, as well.

The W900i comes standard with 470 MB of internal memory. This is quite generous for a phone, and allows you to hold a modest amount of songs. The phone does allow for memory expansion, though, by means of Memory Stick Duo PRO. Sony Ericsson claims the phone can be expanded up to 2 GB, although some speculate that claim was made before 4 GB memory sticks became available. Theoretically, there may be no limit to how much memory can be added externally.

FM Radio
Strangely, the radio on the W900i is a step backward from the radio on the W810i. While there is nothing wrong with the radio being controlled from the remote, it still should have been built into the phone itself, like with the W810i. After all, not everyone may want to use the remote. Another issue is that the radio no longer sports RDS, like it did on the W810i. All the remote displays is basic information, like the radio station. You have no way of knowing what song is playing, etc. It's certainly something I can live without, but it's just annoying that the W900i, which is supposed to take the Wxxx series to new heights, downgrades an important selling point.

Web Browser
The W900i features a small web browser that is similar to the one found on the PlayStation Portable. I don't really find it all that useful, when I can just log onto the PC or use a laptop, but it's there for those who need it. There is a full screen option, as well as "Smart Fit," just like on the PSP.

Conclusion
The Sony Ericsson W900i is arguably one of the best phones on the market right now. While it isn't quad-band and lacks EDGE, it still manages to pack in a little something for everyone. You have a great phone, a good digital camera, a great MP3 player, an optional FM radio, a web browser, a video camera, address book... the list goes on and on. For all the things that it does, this is why I felt it was worth the $680. Hopefully this phone will become mainstream throughout North America, which would warrant a major price drop. While I do recommend this phone to anyone, some people may hate jack knife phones with a passion. In that case, I would recommend the W810 over the W900. Otherwise, this is one great phone!

Pros:

• 2.0 megapixel digital camera (with auto-focus)
• Fully featured Walkman
• 470 MB of internal memory
• Can be expanded to 2 GB of external memory

Cons:

• Tri-band; (W810i is a cheaper model and is quad-band); (tri-band also means this phone won't work in Latin America, which is almost exclusively 850 MHz)
• No EDGE; (within the USA, EDGE allows you to browse the web at high speeds)
• Thick and heavy (for some people)