Sony Ericsson W580i user reviews (urban gray)

3.5 stars

"Great features, questionable quality" on December 22, 2007 by hunandude

Pros: Tons of features to keep you busy for days: good music player, above average camera, thin and light, good battery life, good reception, flawless OS

Cons: Bad keypad, cracked keys, battery cover hard to remove

Summary: Before I bought this phone, I was hesitating between this and the W810i. I opted for the W580i because it was a lot more compact and makes the other one look like a brick.

I've had this phone for about three weeks and was very satisfied with it at first. It's very thin and lighter than expected. Entertainment wise, it has all the features you'd expect from a higher end phone. The Walkman player offers good quality audio, but at low volumes, a bit of background noise can be heard. It's barely noticeable, though, and it's been a good replacement for my mp3 player. The shake feature that everybody is raving about works well but doesn't offer anything special. Instead of holding the W button and shaking, you can just hold the volume button to change tracks.

The 2MP camera takes pretty good pictures for a phone, but in low light and up close, the pictures tend to turn out grainy or blurry.

The included software and USB cable make transferring music, themes and videos a breeze for Windows XP. For Vista, there are few bugs in the software, but downloads are available on the SE website for updated versions.

Those who complain about the short battery life often tend to forget that first and foremost a PHONE, not a handheld computer (although it almost has as many functions.) It's therefore normal that the applications drain a lot of juice, but for regular usage such as talking, music and texting, a full charge lasts a good 2 to 3 days. Call quality is clear on both ends, with or without the headset, and it receives a signal where most phones are supposed to.

One of the flaws with the design is that the battery cover is extremely hard to remove. The end of the phone curves up, which complicates things. The major problem with this phone is the overall quality. Sliding the phone up and down is relatively easy. It "clicks" into place and holds pretty well. However, when the phone is open, it doesn't feel solid at all. Furthermore, there's a huge gap between the two halves to make space for the camera lenses, which is on the back of the upper half, and you can see the inside of the phone in the gap. It's a major inconvenience if you live in a region where it rains or snows a lot, as all the internal circuitry is exposed when the phone is open.

Another problem I've had with it is the keypad. When you press on one key, all the keys around it move. Also, pressing on the side of the key creates a see-saw effect in the sense that if you don't press exactly on the middle, the button tilts to one side or the other. That's probably the cause of two cracked keys after less than 2 weeks. I'm not a heavy texter and rarely use my keypad to dial numbers. I handle my gadgets carefully and the cracked keys are from light use, so this could be a major issue if you text a lot. Besides, the keypad isn't that good in the first place.

Overall, the W580i is a spectacular phone in all departments except durability. Flashy and packed with features, it acts as a good phone as well, which we tend to forget. If you're rough on your gear, I suggest something with a simpler design such as the W810i which has similar specs, but less slim, heavier and with a better camera. Personally, I think the W580i is a better phone if you're careful with it.