Sony Ericsson W950i hands-on impression
Slam dunk. The replacement for the handset maker's most popular Walkman phone, the W810i improves on the original W800i by adding quad-band GSM, EDGE and a reworked set of music controls. Also new is an integrated ambient light sensor for automatically adjusting screen brightness to make for optimal viewing of its snazzy Flash-based user interface themes on the 1.9-inch screen; a thumping speakerphone; and EDGE for semi high-speed date. Lastly, the excellent 2 Megapixel camera remains, and the keypad even gets a bit of a usability bump.
Specifications
Sony Ericsson today announced the latest addition to the handset maker's sprawling line-up of music phones, currently comprised of the candybar W800i,
the spinner W550i,
the slider W600i and
the flagship spinner W900i. These models are now joined by the W810i, which is best described as a cross between the original Walkman phone, the W800i, and the company's most recent - and flagship - model, the W900i.
Identical to the W800i in most respects, the W810i differs mainly through its inclusion of quad-band GSM and newfound support for EDGE, a 2.5G technology which delivers faster transfer speeds than GPRS, yet is slower than 3G. Also, the navigational pad and surrounding keys of the W810i have been redesigned in the spirit of the W900i, and now provide direct access to music controls for simplified navigation.
These differences aside, the W810i retains the broad feature set of the W800i, including a 2 Megapixel camera with auto focus and video recording; a high-resolution colour screen; and a Memory Stick PRO Duo expansion slot for which the W810i will come with a bundled 512 MB card. Said card will also hold the MP3 and AAC files supported by the Walkman audio player of the handset, which outputs audio through the also-bundled HPM-70 stereo headphones which include a 3.5 mm earphone jack dongle.
Allowing for fast data transfer speeds is USB 2.0 connectivity, with other highlights of the W810i including its ability to pause music upon receiving incoming calls, a dedicated music mode for use on planes and Bluetooth support for connecting headsets and modem use, among other purposes.
Price and availability
Slated for availability in the spring of 2006, the Sony Ericsson W810i will be available in Europe and North America, whilst a W810c version is targeted for mainland China. Sony Ericsson did not comment on the expected pricing of the handset.
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