Sony Ericsson S500i user reviews (mysterious green, unlocked)

4.0 stars

"Small size, big impression. *Myths dispelled*" on March 14, 2009 by sweets_s5i

Pros: Nature-inspired design (green and black version) - admirable & refreshing in a materialistic world, feels sturdy/well-built, colorful screen, clear/loud calls, Very Loud ringer, Keypad is not hard to press, though not the most sensitive.

Cons: Loud ringer...even the lowest setting would barely suffice as a "low" ring. Buttons are even tinier than I expected. Kind of hard to slide up since its a narrow and short phone, the front is slick, and the slide is feels resistant.

Summary: I cant give much of a review right now, since I just got the S500i in the mail just a few hours ago. But I wanted to correct some misinformation that you may have read at websites. Before purchasing, I referenced not only the phone's specs shown online but also expert reviews and now that I have the phone I see that some people really didnt do their homework...and I dont want you to pass up this phone due to that.
One complaint was that there is no "silent mode" on the camera. This is true, in a way. But as I suspected, if you set the phone itself to "silent mode" then when you take a pic, it is totally silent. Problem solved. One reviewer said that it would be a better phone if you could assign lights to people's names. Well, from what I've read, you can...although I havent attempted it yet. I like the light effects, but I dont see how assigning them to a name is that big of a deal. Yet another reviewer said that the d-pad was difficult because of the metal ring being immovable. It felt that way when I used it, but then I looked closer. Actually, the metal part Does move (I pressed down with my fingernail to verify). It is the plastic hill of the faceplate surrounding the d-pad which keeps the movement limited to the half and inch or so wide circle. Personally, I didnt love it, but it wasnt a "problem". Im thinking the raised edge is to help prevent you from accidentally pressing one of the nearby tiny "clear", "back", etc. keys by keeping your finger within the circle. And when outside of the circle, to keep you from accidentally clicking the d-pad. As long as there's logic, I usually dont complain. A reviewer said that there is a slight vibration when making a menu selection and that its mandatory...its not. All you have to do is go to Menu, Settings, Sounds & Alerts, Vibrating Alert : Off. Simple.
I dont like how the backlight turns off within about 30 seconds of you not using the phone. I read someone complain about that, saying Sony Ericsson should let us decide if we want to conserve the battery life. I agree...although the setting is understandable. I think that person was right in saying that it cant be changed...sucks. What clued me to that was the fact that when I changed the phone screen brightness, a message popped up saying "increasing brightness will shorten backlight time", seeming to signify that the backlight is automatic. I guess thats how it gets the 9 hours huh? lol About sliding the phone, when you slide it up halfway, the spring does the rest of the work, when you are sliding down, it does the same. But it seems that thats why there is "resistance" when pushing up (maybe this is pretty much all slider phones...this is my first slider)...the force that works to slide the phone down for you, is the same thing making it kind of hard to push it up...you see? If I start to push it up a tiny bit, then let go, it snaps back down quickly and firmly. Its not "hard to open" really...just something to get used to. I was thinking the side lights were only going to come on during calls/alerts, but it has stayed on as I've configured my phone and I havent found a setting to turn it off. Well, atleast the vibration wasnt a permanent setting. I like how the interface looks and responds quickly. I hate T9, so I was glad I could turn that off. Another correction: A reviewer said this phone wouldnt be good for texting because you have to wait about 3 seconds between letters. That kind of worried me. Well, he/she was wrong. The only time you have to wait is when you are going to select a letter that is on the same key as the previous letter (like if you're typing B..then A, you must wait 2 seconds because otherwise the phone will think you want to change the B to a C). Thats with every cell phone that I've used. And actually the S500i only makes you wait 2 seconds, my other phones were 3 or 4 seconds. But if you're spelling B...E, you can immediately click the E after the B, no waiting.
I think the key sizes are a bit ridiculous, and I dont like that there is only 1 port for charging, ear piece, data cable...so you can only do 1 at a time (unless you hunt down an adapter).
Oh, I read before buying the phone that some users' keypads cracked. But since I also read that it didnt stop the keys from working and that it is very easy to repair on your own, and only $14 for a new keypad online (including shipping), I figured I'd give the phone a shot (since that was the only real down side). My keypad looks like a darker/more intense green than I saw online in any pics, and the keys dont feel thin, but dense/thick...so maybe I have a better version of the keypad...if not oh well. I think being informed and having realistic expectations is the key to being satisfied with any purchase. Got this phone for $134...since it retails at like $300 and has tons of features/specs in line with what I wanted, I dont anticipate regret, but I'll let you know.

3.5 stars

"Not the best, but definitely the prettiest." on September 28, 2008 by ef0411

Pros: Beautiful sleek design, sturdy slide, slim design, Everchanging theme is GORGEOUS, glowing LEDs on the side are impressive.

Cons: Terrible speakers, flaky keypad, few games. Not much to do if you don't like to browse the internet on your phone.

2.5 stars

"Cool phone with great features but is a piece of crap!!" on August 29, 2008 by jende8

Pros: It has good features and has great graffics. The camera has many cool options with fun accesories. The camera has a micro sd card so you can have many pictures in the phone. The is the capibilty to blog right from your phone and the internet is great

Cons: The keys cracked with in six months after the Sony Ericsson guy promised me the wouldn't. The interal parts of the phone flaked out for the second time causing the screen to go blank, flip upside down and do weird colors and lines on the screen.

Summary: Bottom line is that the phone is really appealing online and for the first few months but overall it is a piece of crap and i will never buy a Sony Ericsson phone again! I had a Sony Ericsson before that and it was amazing, it lasted for 3 years and i didn't want to give it up, so i thought this one would be great also but it did not meet any of my expectations. The interal parts of the phone are horribly made and i must send my phone in to be fixed for the second time. The first time i sent it in the said i may or may not send me my own phone back. I did infact get my own phone back but they had to clear my memory and had cracked a few of my keys and had put a scratch in the screen. Sony Ericsson does not supply you a loaner phone while they fix yours leaving you with out a phone for several weeks. After they fixed it, it worked fine for a couple of months but it has started to do the same thing again and i can't stand it. Over all this phone looks cool and has some awesome features but is a piece of crap!!!!

4.5 stars

"Best Un-Walkman Phone you can find!" on March 27, 2008 by God of Devices

Pros: Themes; Side Leds; Compact; Slim Slider.

Cons: Navigation wheel hard to use; 3.5mm earphone input.

Summary: A huge boost for the people of Sony Ericsson, this phone should be the start to the Sony Ericsson 'S Series', not the last.
It has great sound quality and the 3gp and Mpeg4 video formats show in a bright and seamless colour.
To not own this phone, is to not own a phone, cause this is the best compact slim slider on the market!
9/10 - God of Devices.