Version: 2008
  • On CHOW: Can girls use the guys' bathroom?
advertisement

Travel with your tunes on Sony Ericsson's Walkman phones

Kent German Kent German, Senior Editor October 5, 2006

Since Sony gave the world the Walkman (remember cassette tapes?), it was no surprise last year when Sony Ericsson announced it was bringing music to its handsets. The company's Walkman line not only packs a powerful music player into a regular cell phone, it also accomplishes the task quite well. Great music quality, a range of features, and easy usability are trademarks of the Walkman phones, without sacrificing that all-important call quality. The Sony Ericsson W800i was the first model to debut in the United States when Sony Ericsson announced it at the 2005 CTIA show. It was followed by the W600i later in the year and the W810i in the first half of 2006. The W300i followed last summer with the W710i bringing up the rear just last week. Though we like the phones as a whole, they're not without their drawbacks, so make sure you find the right handset for you. Cingular has been the only carrier thus far to offer the Walkman phones, but we hope we'll see more on the market soon.

More Resources
All cell phone reviews,
Editors' top cell phones,
Quick guide: Cell phone battery-life charts,
Cell phone radiation charts
Product name
Price
As shown: $599.00
Check Prices Check Prices Check Prices Check Prices
CNET editors' rating
Average user rating
Review date October 07, 2005 November 07, 2005 April 13, 2006 July 18, 2006 September 28, 2006
The Bottom Line Its design may not be particularly flashy, but the Sony Ericsson W800i Walkman phone elegantly combines its calling and multimedia features into a powerful device. Although we bemoan the lack of an expandable memory slot, the Sony Ericsson W600i is a remarkable and user-friendly MP3 cell phone. Sony Ericsson succeeds again with its third Walkman phone for the U.S. market, but the W810i brings only minor improvements over earlier models. Though it has a few design and performance glitches, the Sony Ericsson W300i is a quality, basic MP3 cell phone. The Sony Ericsson W710i is solid addition to Sony Ericsson's Walkman phone line despite a few design hiccups and some missing features.
Similar Products Compare more products Compare more products Compare more products Compare more products Compare more products
Features
Cellular technologyGSM
GSM
GSM
GSM
GSM
Weight3.5 oz
4.2 oz
3.5 oz
3.3 oz
3.6 oz
Talk timeUp to 540 min
Up to 510 min
Up to 480 min
Up to 540 min
Up to 600 min
Wireless InterfaceBluetooth
Infrared (IrDA)
Bluetooth
Infrared (IrDA)
Bluetooth
Infrared (IrDA)
Bluetooth
Infrared (IrDA)
Bluetooth
Infrared (IrDA)
Service ProviderInfo unavailableAT&T
AT&T
AT&T
Unlocked
Band / modeGSM 900/1800/1900 (Tri-Band)
GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband)
GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband)
GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband)
GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband)
Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications
Buying choices