| Sony Ericsson W760 |
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 If the Sony Ericsson W580i was a solid music phone (it was), the Sony Ericsson W760 is a solid 3G phone all around. The great music player hasn't gotten any worse with age, though we'd like it to get a little better. The best part is how much the W760 benefits from U.S. 3G access. Calls sounded great on AT&T's HSDPA network, and Web browsing speeds were very good. Even better was the tethered modem support, a nice surprise for a phone that seems to be all about music. The PC Suite let us synchronize our Outlook contacts and calendar, which was another nice surprise, and they kept coming. Don't expect much from the gaming capabilities and you won't be disappointed. Don’t expect much from the camera and you'll be pleased. Navigation was a miss, more of a bonus than a worthwhile feature, but there was such a nice mix of near-hits and Bulls-eyes that the phone comes out a winner in the end. Release: June 2008. Price: $100.
Pros: Fast network speeds. Solid music player. Great call quality. Good PC sync capabilities. Good Web browser.
Cons: No IM for messaging, nor IMAP for Gmail. Music app could use some polish. Media Manager needs improvement. Music phones are better with 3.5mm headphone jack.
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| Sony Ericsson W350 |
Specs » Gallery » |
 The Sony Ericsson W350 looks fantastic, but its performance doesn't quite live up. Perhaps we've been spoiled by the high-end Walkman experience we've had on other Sony Ericsson phones, like the Sony Ericsson W580i, but as a bargain phone, with a low-resolution screen and some flimsy hardware, the Walkman experience just doesn't work. We love the design, but when the tiny buttons and difficult controls make using the device more difficult, that love begins to wane. Worst of all, the Sony Ericsson Media Manager is the most difficult media transfer software we've used with a modern music phone, which makes the phone's prospects even more grim. In spite of the design, the phone packs some decent Web browsing and camera features, so its not a total wash, but if you're buying this phone for the music, you're probably better off investing just a bit more in a better Walkman phone, or looking elsewhere. Release: June 2008. Price: $1.
Pros: Attractive design. Easy to synch with Outlook contacts and calendar. Good camera. Fine Web browser.
Cons: Typing and navigation difficult, even in messaging and music functions. Media Manager is buggy and difficult to use. Music experience needs drastic improvement to match other Walkman phones.
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| Sony Ericsson Z555 |
Specs » Gallery » |
 Okay, so clearly Sony Ericsson is aiming at picking off some of Nokia's fashion phone crowd. The Z555 would be pretty mid-range, if it weren't for the unique geometrical styling on the face, clearly reminiscent of the Nokia 7900 Prism. We got to take a look at the black version, but a garish pink will be available as well, because you can't make a fashion phone in black without making one in pink. Ah well, if you like the design, look for it at Sony Style or online, because we can't see a U.S. carrier picking this one up any time soon. Release: February 2008. Price: $200.
Pros: Cool, unique geometric design. Um, probably won't slip, thanks to diamond-plate pattern.
Cons: Very mid-range. No real stand-out features like Walkman support or Cyber Shot-level optics.
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