Review: Sony Ericsson V800 3G Phone

Sony Ericsson V800 Review

Phone rating:

The V800 is Sony Ericsson's first 3G phone, and is also one of the first 3G phones available on Vodafone.

The rotating Motion Eye™ camera can be turned inwards to point at you during video calls, or can be turned outwards to record pictures or videos. With a resolution of 1.3 megapixels, this is one of the best cameras available in any current phone. The 262,000 colour internal screen is also the best quality display in any of the 3G phones currently on the market. The display is bright, even outdoors, and video playback is smooth. Combine these features with the full range of Vodafone's 3G content, plus an MP3 player, video recorder, Bluetooth™ wireless connectivity and a replaceable memory card, and the V800 is one of the best phones around.

One of the advantages of Vodafone's 3G service is that it allows you unrestricted access to the web, unlike 3, where you're restricted to 3's own content.

At 128g, the V800 has an average weight for a 3G mobile and its battery life compares favourably with the competition. It's a good all-rounder that should help to make 3G more accessible.

The V800 is now obsolete. The Sony Ericsson W850i is a slide-design 3G phone that offers everything that the V800 had, and more. Check out the latest Sony Ericsson W850i deals from Dial-a-Phone.

Features of the Sony Ericsson V800 include:

• Video calling
• 3G entertainment services - live video streaming (news, sport, etc)
• TFT colour internal screen (176 x 220 pixels, 262,144 colours)
• Rotating camera - 1.3 megapixels, plus video camera
• MP3 player
• Portable stereo handset included
• Connectivity: Bluetooth™, InfraRed & cable (USB & RS232)
• 72-voice polyphonic ringtones
• Sound recorder
• Picture editor, picture effects
• SMS, EMS, MMS, email
• 4-directional navigation key
• 3D Java™ games
• Screensaver
• Multi-tasking
• Memory: Memory Stick PRO Duo™ (32Mbyte card supplied)
• Picture phonebook
• Triband & 3G (UMTS)
• GPRS, WAP 2.0
• Vibration alert
• Size: 102 x 49 x 24 mm
• Weight: 128g
• Talktime: 10 hours (video calling: 1.5 hours)
• Battery standby: 240 hours

Sony Ericsson V800 Consumer Reviews

Love your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive language, and please, no advertising!

Average rating from 100 reviews:

Reviewed by Sam from England on 20th Feb 2006
This is the best phone that I've ever had, and the black design makes it look well smart. The camera is quality n the bluetooth is well quick. The only problem I've had is with the camera. I've got a 2 year old niece who plays with it and rotated the camera too much, so the wires now snapped, so part frm it not bein kid-proof, the phone is ace.
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Reviewed by Dave C from England on 20th Feb 2006
I have had this phone for a year and its awsome! Best in its league...well was untill nokia n series! Only slight thing that lets it down is size but it does make up for it...Expandable memory up to a 1GB, so easy to use...great features...even the new SE phones are no better...only 2.0Mega Pixel camera phones! No problems ever, so either people have been unlucky or there stupid and dont take care of there phones! A great phone to have bought, not much point in buying it now....Mines still going strong and i LOVE IT!!! New N series for me next!!! Shame SE havebnt got any good new ones!
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Reviewed by pioneer from Australia on 17th Feb 2006
This is the best phone I have ever owned ;-) not only have i not had a problem with it, but the battery life is more than fine for the features it offers, i can play mp3's all day take photos and it lasts more than 2 days, mp3 sounds great and the fact that i could upgrade the memory to 1gb made it idea for mp3 and photos, the camera is only 1.3 mega pixels so the qulaity of picture is to be expected. I have no need for another phone for quite a while, the v800 does everything and looks great ;-)
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Reviewed by David from New Zealand on 12th Feb 2006
This one is the man. I've had a 6680 and used D500. They're all junk compared to a V800. Its so stylish and feels so good in my hands. Kinda OMG-MY-MONEY-IS-WORTH-IT feeling. Thumping MP3 player and video player. Video calling is better than ever. The camera which could be turned in every direction is better than two fixed crap cameras. I feel a lot better when switched from a nokia 3G brick phone-not kiddin!!!
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Reviewed by BAZ THE MAN from IRELAND on 11th Feb 2006
YEAH OK ITS QUITE GOOD.THE ONLY THINGS THAT ARE WRONG WITH IT ARE THE SIZE...I MEAN IT IS PRETTY BIG,AND ALSO WHEN YOU HAVE A FEW BITS SAVED ON THE MEMORY CARD ITS BECOMES A BIT SLOW.IT MAKES FOR A GOOD MP3 PLAYER AND THE CAMERA IS VERY GOOD...BUT IF U WANT A GREAT FONE GET THE NOKIA 6270 DAT HAS THE 2MP CAMERA GREAT
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Reviewed by tsholofelo from South Africa on 6th Feb 2006
terrible phone, please don´t waste your money people, first it was the screen showing lines, i fix it now its frezzing, always No network, very very very slow, can´t detect the sim card anymore have to swtich it off and switch it on agin before i use it. I Loved the phone BUT I wasted my love for it. I love sony ericsson with their technology on phones.
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Reviewed by Imran from United States on 27th Jan 2006
Pretty good, camera is mediocre, does all the things that you need it to do.
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Reviewed by Mats from Sweden on 16th Jan 2006
DO NOT BUY THIS ..... Had it for a few days than the display started to act strange and went black. After three weeks at service i recived the phone and there was a note in the package "buy a new one!!!" Talked to a other guy who had the same problem, he said: It is so sensitive that you should leave it at home. After all it doesn´t matter the battery time was only a few hours even when the phone wasn´t in use.... And it was too big and weight too much... I contacted Sony Ericsson and they said "no komments" They already know that this phone is junk. SO DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE and if you do buy it... leave it at home.
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Reviewed by Kai from France on 12th Jan 2006
It's quite a nice phone. I'm happy with it. Good points: MP3 player, does video, memory card (hope to get a bigger one soon), solid construction, it was cheap with my phone contract, flashlight. Not perfect but I use a lot and am happy with: camera, browser (new Opera browser Mini works quite well too), sound recorder, syncing calendar, tasks, address book with Outlook. Kinda neat: video, Java apps. Gripes: too many to list (it's a computer after all), but none are critical. I'll be using this for a while, and it'll do instead of an iPod as far as I'm concerned.
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Reviewed by Dave from UK on 2nd Jan 2006
If big is beautifull this is your phone .... but it's not for me .... it's big, it's too heavy .... It's definitely NOT a phone for a lady ... but need a ladies (or a kid's) thumb use the recessed "joystick" 'enter'. It's too small/recessed for a normal mans thumb .... VERY frustrating .... and battery consumption when used is HIGH ... This V800 is somewhere around my 20th phone ... and I made a mistake getting it ....
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Reviewed by Wildcat from New Zealand on 30th Dec 2005
I've had this phone for 4 days and not experienced any of the problems so many others are having. Everything works a treat, I have had no problems with the phone finding either network (2g & 3g). It took me about 5 minutes to work out how to put MP3's on the phone (I didn't read the manual). All I did was go into My Computer, and access the removable disk icon that appears. Then find the folder called MP3, and transfer the MP3 files into it from your computer. Then, I turned the phone off and turned it back on. The MP3's then appear, and you can then create your playlist for playing them. As for the battery life, mine has lasted 3 days, but then I have been downloading music off the 3g site here in NZ, plus playing MP3's and setting up contacts, playing around witht he features of the phone etc, which sucks the battery life. In standby mode, without me fiddling with the phone, it will be interesting to see how long the battery lasts. The phone also works well with Outlook, and the PC Suite software installed without a glitch. Sorry to hear so many people having problems. I love this new phone (well, at least until the next more technologically advanced phone appears - say in 6 months time?)
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Reviewed by cj from NZ on 18th Dec 2005
Firstly lets address the issue of battery life...please compare apples with apples..when you say the battery life is dreadful you need to consider few things, are comparing with 3G phones or are talking about previous non 3g models? secondly how bad is the coverage? do you have acceptable level of reception so it doesn't keep scanning for CELL sites? have you tried a theme which uses low power? after all this phone is a CLAM shell phone and therefore the battery cannot be huge..i have a 900mah on mine which i think is standard and it lasts 3 days and i've had this phone for about 4 months now..now the software issue..is there one? i've used the suite that comes with the phone plus float's mobile agent which i use through IR...this is for backing up smss...everything else can be backed up using the standard suite..the standard suite works with bluetooth and with the usb cable altough im sure it will work through IR as well..i dont understand how you can not get it to work...with the sync power of MS outlook you do not need a organiser if you know how to use this phone..final note all functions work...worse case scenario for idiots is to re flash it...vodafone's content does slow it down but it's bearable..i just don't understand why people moan about a phone after buying it..do some research before you buy..this is not everyones cup of tea but for people with half a brain they can make extremely good use of it..my only gripe is with vodafone for locking it up so tightly...good news is you can always get around it if you know where to look...
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Reviewed by Andy Picton from Hampshire, England on 17th Dec 2005
Brilliant phone, big leap forward from my Nokia 3200 (which was OK). All the features rock, especially the camera and video. All in all, the phone is definatly worth getting.
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Reviewed by Addict from UK on 15th Dec 2005
I love this phone! It has awsome graphics and can do pretty much anything you want. And the camera is awsome! I collect so many phones, i just love phones! Escpecially the ones with good camera's like this one. This is a phone for the cool people (like me) and i recommend it!
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Reviewed by Roger Stephens from England on 2nd Dec 2005
Not a bad package overall but has some serious shortcomings when you want to use it as a phone - that's what it's supposed to do right? Short battery life, average reception, slow to start up. As for the rest of it? The camera is OK but poor (worse than Nokia) at low light levels. The menu system works well and I like the keypad for texting - big clearly separate keys. Best feature has to be the big and clear screen - easy to read even in bright light. The outside screen is a waste of time tho. My only gripe is that the reception has now deteriorated to the point that it won't even pick up the network. Taken two weeks to slowly die on me and now has to go back to Vodaphone for repair. A technician told me that the early phones had software faults and the new ones are 100%. There are worse phones around, especially 3G. But, there are better and I am a little sad that Sony didn't pull out all the stops to get this one right.
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Reviewed by L McEvoy from Ireland on 1st Dec 2005
I've just returned this phone after one week. The PC Suite CD Rom did not install correctly (no problem with my laptop) and accordingly the MP3 player could not function nor could files could be exchanged between the PC and the phone. The ringtone on maximum volume was barely audible and the choice of ringtones themes and screensavers deplorable. This is the first time I have not "bonded" with a new phone; I will try my luck with the SE w800i Walkman phone instead.
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Reviewed by joe pinfold (pinner) from uk on 30th Nov 2005
exellant fone. people are dumb if this fone is junk. its amazing! get it.
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Reviewed by Niklas from Sweden on 28th Nov 2005
This phone is very good
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Reviewed by Jenny from England on 23rd Nov 2005
Up until this week this phone would have gotten 5 stars from me, it has all of the 3G features and Vodafone has recently introduced Sky tv through its service. However, Over the past week I have noticed a serious decline in the battery life of my phone, to the extent that it will now drain down to the point that it turns off in less than 20 hours - I don't know whether this is a problem with the manufacture (I've had my phone since July) and I'm not impressed with the thought of paying a contract for it for another 6 months before I can upgrade. I would certainly recommend doing some research into this issue before anybody else considers buying it.
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Reviewed by SAMKU2 from UK on 20th Nov 2005
THIS FONE ROX
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Reviewed by David from Holland on 18th Nov 2005
This phone is just a half of lots of things but not a whole of anything. If you just want to phone ... don't buy this ... it's built like a small house brick .... If you want to text, don't buy this ... it's so unbalanced you need BOTH HANDS ... or it falls on the floor and you'll buy another anyway 'cos it's broke... If you want music ... getting MP3's to work is a cream .... or spend another fortune buying them from Vodafone.... Ringtones .... there's hardly anything in it when you by it .... so spend another fortune at Vodafone BUYING them Same with themes .... Battery .. need to be charge it almost every day ... T630 once in 4 days with the same use .. The Bluetooth handsfree ... only latches in after the first 5/6 seconds ... have to ask the caller to repeat what they're saying ... Well apart from that ... 'spose it's OK ... But now let's try to think of something good ... Oh yes !!... The led light's fine for finding the keyhole on a dark night ...
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Reviewed by Damien from Scotland on 18th Nov 2005
As it stands on features, this phone was probably the best I ever had.... when it worked. 4 replacements later, I am sorry to say that the hardware let it down enormously. Key pad problems, lost contacts, screen faults,... too bad. Great phone - shoddy build. I gave up finaly and changed to a samsung D600 - man, that's another story altogether! Never thought I'd leave the SE pack... hoping they will lure me back some day!
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Reviewed by David from UK on 1st Nov 2005
I thought the phone looked great and had many features I wanted. Problems started straightaway though - mine wouldn't find the 2G network and with 3G coverage being so poor, I could barely use it. Replacement handset was much better but I have now had 2 of them and the external screen cracked on both, despite keeping it in a Sony Ericsson case. Each time I lost downloaded ringtones and you can't even use your own MP3s as ringtones as they have no DRM. Bahhh! Other problems were that the ring seemed very quiet (despite maxing it at 7 bars) and I missed calls when it was stashed in a pocket. Otherwise, I was reasonably happy with functionality, usability, etc. Vodafone say they have no more of the V800s so I shall be test driving a Samsung V500 soon (they wouldn't give me a Sharp 903). At least Vodafone have coughed up for a new memory card on the Samsung too!
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Reviewed by dmitri wall from ireland on 29th Oct 2005
Tons of potential - delivers on nothing of consequence. If you're honest, the reason you ever consider this phone is for it's promises of innovative technology which other companies have not had the foresight to attempt to deliver. It soon becomes obvious, however, that Sony falls well short. They have glanced over all the functions a serious phone should have, such as build quality, constant reception and consistent performance. What you get is a superficially pretty phone with no depth and absolutely no substance. I've endured consistent faults since my first v800 was replaced. I have known it to drop over 6 calls sequentially while on other occasions it has refused to dial or accept calls. This large slab insists on intermittently freezing, while when it does connect, does so with such poor quality you feel as though the other person is talking through an electrical storm. Claiming that this is a serious phone is similar to claiming that getting shot in the backside is a minor inconvenience. The camera option, I should mention, is of laughably poor quality, while the most essential of funtions - good working keys, is non existant. The only outstanding feature of this phone is it's light and even that seems to be a luxury that the battery power of this pretender cannot support for any reasonable length of time. The only concievable reason for buying this phone would be the argument that you have to experience how bad something can be before truly aprreciating the best.
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Reviewed by Richard from UK on 7th Oct 2005
I have had this phone for 12 months now, although I have only used it for 10 months because of the poor build quality. Txting is a complete waste of time as the keys constantly display the wrong characters so i gave up in the end and have been using an old Nokia 8310 which was still fantastic for txting. I have decided to try the Sony Ericsson V600i but only because it's free on an upgrade, otherwise i would have gone back to Nokia. Don't waste your money on this phone.
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Reviewed by Stacy from United Kingdom on 30th Sep 2005
I am really disappointed about this phone. The way its features were advertised was is so exaggerated. Yes it does have many features but do they really work properly.I would not recommend anyone to buy this phone at all.
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Reviewed by James W from England on 24th Sep 2005
INCREDIBLE
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Reviewed by Erol from UK on 13th Sep 2005
I've had this phone 9 months now and I will be changing it in the next couple of weeks. The first phone had some software problems, switching off and incorrectly matching names to numbers. Vodafone replaced the phone within 24 hours and the software problems disappeared. Battery life is no where near 10 hours, more like 2 hours for phone calls and 30 mins for video calls. You can see the bars going down as you use 3G. Signal strength is poor especially when 3G is active (3G costs 2 signal bars). Basically I just don't like it anymore!
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Reviewed by mary from UK on 8th Sep 2005
I got this phone 4 months ago and for the first 3 months it was fantastic, then one day it stops working... it kept turning on and off constantly and it got irritating, vodaphone were just twats about it and i went thru 3 "refurbished" handsets until they gave up and gave me a new one. Despite all this,the mp3 and other features are great on the phone and havent had any problems. I got this on an 18 month contract, but im not hopeful that even my new phone will hold out that long. After the problems i experienced with Vodaphone over this phone, i wouldnt advise anyone to get it. And from hearing the other experiences it seems it still has issues it needs to sort out.
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Reviewed by David from England on 6th Sep 2005
Great screen and easy to use menus. BUT terrible problems connecting to network. First handset went back 3 times before I was given a new on. This one no better. Then received a reconditioned one from Vodafone - this didn't even power up. Swapping phone as fast as possible for something else.
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Reviewed by Rufus from Singapore on 4th Sep 2005
Wow, been using the phone for about 4 months now, 1) The sound is great, I bet this is the only phone with such a nice MP3 sound. 2) the Cam is super, and even when using the video call function it's still 1.3mp cam, all my friends said was super clear quality. 3) The phone is really easy to used I didn't even refer to the manual at all. Those who wish to upgrade to 3G pls consider this phone...
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Reviewed by Chris Twine from England on 23rd Aug 2005
Got this free on my Vodafone tarrif, at first it seemed like a really good phone, a bit bulky but looked good. Until I started using it that is. After about 60 minutes I noticed that fingerprints get EVERYWHERE on this phone, its just made out of the wrong type of plastic, not the nice matt plastic like the Samsung Z500. Also the button in the middle of the circle buttons has spun on itself so that its pointing to the diagonal now, and I cant seem to get it to realign itself. But these problems aside, I was fairly happy with the phone, until it stopped working properly. Sometimes the phone refuses to dial out, until you restart it and try again. So I rang vodafone asking them why this is and they suggested a few things to do to sort this problem, needless to say none worked. I now find out that apparently some 3G phones (V800 included) have problems with swapping networks when 3g is not available, i.e. when you go from Vodafone 3g to Vodafone 2g network the phone doesn't work properly. After finding this out I thought I would swap this phone for a nice looking 2g phone. So hopefully in the next week or so I should have this phone swapped for a nice K750i. My tip, avoid.
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Reviewed by JL from UK on 15th Aug 2005
Nice phone, very stylish, good features but too big. I was aware how big it was before getting it and dont actually have a problem carrying it in my pockets or handbag. What i dont like about it is it's so difficult openning it with one hand especially when you're in a rush or your one hand is occupied. Not a very practical size when you're always on the move like me. If SE can make great phones in small sizes like the K750 i dont see why they thought they should make this an exception.
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Reviewed by Wing from Wang on 6th Aug 2005
I love this phone its so easy to use
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Reviewed by Fed Up with V800 from England on 3rd Aug 2005
Had this V800 10 months and cant wait to get rid of it... 1.Battery is terrible, even moderate use and LESS than 12 hours. 2.Volume is awful, when ringing it is very quiet, the so called speaker on the fron it tiny and tinny. Also, when making a 3G call as the speaker is on the outside, the speaker is facing away from yoooooooooooooo.I have found with this phone a 3G call can only be made in a VERY quit location. 3.It is ugly. There are good pointtttttttttttttbut what is the point of mentioning them as the most important thing aboooooooooooooo phone is being able to hear a call..and you miss lots and as a 3G call maker USELESS..completely.
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Reviewed by Deepa from India on 3rd Aug 2005
the bst fone i have ever bought.Camera=brilliant.3G=brilliant.the fone has a 1.3 mega pixel camera wow!!!the recorder is class and can record far 55 mins. The battery life is moderate though it is not expensive for a moderate user. The model is so sleek n stylish with many inbuilt advanced features.The radiation is comparatively low.I love this set.this is the best one I have ever used.
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Reviewed by tony from u.k on 28th Jul 2005
When i first got the phone it was free, i had the option of paying for a motorola v3, i went for the cheap option. I wish I hadn't. Over the past 7 months i have had 5 phones, 3 charger's, and two batteries. Vodaphone keep's giving me refurbed phones and i have sent all of them back and i even got one back that i had even sent back to them. The battery life is rubbish it only last's a day if you use the phone two if i keep it in my pocket and don't use it. After it crashing, not being able to use all the features, and having softwere not on the phone i'm fed up with it, one day my wish is to get a phone that work's or for my contract to run out which ever is first. Just a note there is a review that say's to ignore poor comment's like this, i'm only describing my experiece with the phone and the service I have recived.
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Reviewed by baz from eire on 26th Jul 2005
the bst fone i have ever bought.Camera=brilliant.3G=brilliant.the fone has a 1.3 mega pixel camera wow!!!the recorder is class and can record far 55 mins.the memory stick was a great touch from the people at Sony Ericsson thanks.i recently had a Motorola C975= worst fone you could buy today.In a nut shell the S.E v800 is the bst money could buy. I recommend you buy 1.
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Reviewed by Jamie from England on 1st Jul 2005
Was great until after 3 1/2 months it wouldnt let me call out, speaker stopped working and kept turning off. Buy the nokia 6680 i did and it is a superior phone.
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Reviewed by Baz from England on 28th Jun 2005
Heard this phone was one of best on the market but it looks hideous! Sent it straight back and replacing it for Nokia 6680 which has all the features plus MP3 and isn't embarrassing to get out in public!
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Reviewed by Al* from Johannesburg S.A. on 27th Jun 2005
This is a solid phone. Very happy. Only negatives: Th black shiny surface gets handmarks all over it too easy. Also the inabilty to use imported mp3 tracks as ring tones. But there is a drm packager ou there from Nokia to get around this.. Woops! Who said that?
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Reviewed by dave from englaan on 18th Jun 2005
wot can i say the best of the best
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Reviewed by mojo from England on 16th Jun 2005
I have just changed from a Nokia 6310, which was a good workhorse of a phone. I picked the V800 because of 3G (which I believe will become useful in time) and the range of features and connectivity. The camera is excellent for its size, and generally it seems robust and feature-packed with a very clear screen. I have found the battery life to be adequate under moderate to heavy usage. I do have some gripes - the Magic Word voice activation feature caused problems with the automatic speaker integration cable in my car - but I can live without voice activation. The biggest gripe is the lack of display of signal strength meter when the phone goes into screensaver mode in the car kit, coupled with having to pay extra for the aerial connector cable to go with the car kit! I'm not convinced that mobile coverage is good enough that I can do without an external aerial on my car, and not even know when I'm out of coverage. Last, I would expect to be able to set the period before the screen-saver is activated, it is too short and you can't adjust it. I've still given the phone 4 stars because it is a lovely phone.
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Reviewed by Jan from France on 14th Jun 2005
I am on my third battery. Battery life awful. My previous old Nokia 6810 worked 5 days without charging. Either Moto or Nokia next time!!
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Reviewed by Kev from England on 8th Jun 2005
Just got it yesterday.Upgraded from K700i.Features are obviously good with the huge screen and impressive camera.I Dont usually touch clam shells as have always found them a bit brick like but the pictures online didnt seem too bad.Have to say that the look and size of the phone is my only complaint.The black effect just makes it look a bit plastic and cheap and you can definately tell you have it with you in your pocket at all times.The jury is still definately out!
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Reviewed by luke from london on 5th Jun 2005
dis fone is da bomb get it
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Reviewed by Joel from The British States on 5th Jun 2005
This is the best phone out this year so far, i have had this phone for 6 months and it still works perfectly. JUST AS NEW. The battery life last so long.
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Reviewed by lotta cooties from England on 31st May 2005
Bada bing, bada boom dudes. GET THIS FONE!
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Reviewed by Thingy from U.K on 29th May 2005
Looks horrible and costs a bomb. Good features though.
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Reviewed by N D from UK on 18th May 2005
I was impressed with v800 for a short time until I saw the new Nokia 6680 with a friend, then I decided to change, the 6680 is much easier to use and the back camera resolution is much better than v800. Also the connectivity, battery life, mp3, memory is bigger.. everything is better V800 is over valued
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Reviewed by sufyan from india on 16th May 2005
hi guys its the best phone i ever had ,only thing its missing is the fm radio.
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Reviewed by Geoff from England on 14th May 2005
I`ve had this phone nearly 4 months now. I wasn`t to sure at first sight, but can now confirm it`s an outstanding phone that will only be overshadowed by the future arrival of the se follow up 3g phone the k600 Good points- to many to mention !!!! Bad points-1, photo id doesn`t work. 2, having to use the DRM software so you can use mp3s as ringtones. 3, the camera shutter is quite loud. I think a couple of these issues may be resolved with the latest firmware updates but cannot confirm. I can honestly say this is the most complete mobile device i`ve ever had. Currently got a 512mb pro duo card which stores more than enough music and videos for me, along with 60 java games. C`mon you haters ! Don`t hate the player, Hate the game BUY THE V800.....
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Reviewed by Rob from South Africa on 11th May 2005
The phone appears to have everything. All the bells and whistles you might want or need. There is only one issue which overshadows the quality and styling. That being battery life. I am not a heavy talker, and probably only use the phone 3 or 4 times a day. I have to charge the phone every evening! It will not last 2 full days. I don't know where they arrive at 240 hours standby time, but that is utter garbage.
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Reviewed by Luca Bank from Philippines on 10th May 2005
Hey! are you joking with me? Is this a phone or a tv? Look! The color is excellent! The sound is superb. All are finely furnished- technically made to fit a richy lifestyle... My goodness! I tell you... buy this phone and you won't regret. Promise! Those who rate it as 1 or 2 might have been blurr-sighted. They don't know how to critically recognize a good phone...
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Reviewed by James Gray from United Kingdom on 9th May 2005
heres a tip for potential buyers- if you can somehow arrange for the V800 to be brought to england from japan,its about 30 pounds over there and I have one- it is a great saving if you were to buy a pay as you go or sim free. it can be set ot english and the only problem for some would be that the vodafone live icons dont come up-and isnt recognised as a v800 on the vodafone live- also there are japanese characters on the buttons and on close and delete buttons. however- probably a good saving enough to come over these----
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Reviewed by ibzz from United Kingdom on 8th May 2005
I am a bit dissapointed in the V800. I have had a K700i in the past and compared to it there are a couple of features missing. Like, the radio is missing and also you cant use the MP3's as ringtones. But enough of running it down. Im a huge fan of flip fones and i must say the design for this fone is the best i have had so far. I does'nt feel flimsy, and its build is strong. You can hide the camera lense so it doesnt get damaged. When the fone rings the name of the caller is very small on the front screen and can be difficult to see at times. The battery has 5 bars, the first couple of bars go down really quick but the phone does last the 3 bars last for a long time. So overall the battery life is good! The camera picture quality is a 1.3 so its GOOOD!! So is the Video recording. It does have expandable memory but the only catch is that Sony have personalised there memory card and unlike other fones you cant use SD or any other memory cards but Sony's, which is expensive. The speaker is clear and does do justice to whatever the phone is playing. Overall, I do like the phone and will be keeping it as i still have 10 days left to return it. If it wasnt for the the memory card, MP3 (use them as ringtones) and Radio then I would have given it 5 stars.Be warned its a BIG phone and some people may be put off by the size. And YES and YES again I would recommend this fone.
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Reviewed by Jamie from England on 2nd May 2005
This phone is great. I had a t610 before this and i kept with sony because i really liked the menus. This phone has great features everything you could want, the 3g can be patchy but its not that bad. The Screen is great, big and bright. Its quite large but not oversized for what it is. People who say this phone is rubbish dont no what they are talking about, i would advise this phone to most people its great!
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Reviewed by Colin McSherry from Scotland on 1st May 2005
The last two phones I had were the sharp GX30I and the motorola V3 and this phone blows them both away it has everything. The camera is superb ,Video calling is super fun and the phone is packed with features.BUY IT NOW!
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Reviewed by Dan from UK on 28th Apr 2005
They phone is packed with loads of great features is easy to use and the camera quality is excellent. However this is all pointless when you cant even make a call. The 3G network is generally weak but this phone just adds to the problem. The signal strength on 2G is also weaker than any phone I have previously owned. Also the build quality is appaling. I am now on my 4th Phone in 5 months. DO NOT BUY THIS!!!! stick with Nokia, I will be in future.
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Reviewed by Warren from South Africa on 22nd Apr 2005
Bought this phone a week ago and i will admit it is pretty good. 3G is not all it is cracked up to be though. The camera can be a bit blurry at times but still takes better pictures than any other phone ive seen. My previous phone was the k700i and this is definately an improvement. The mp3 is good quality but video is still blocky. The phone seems big but its not really. the front screen is great and can even have its own backround.
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Reviewed by lewis parker from england on 18th Apr 2005
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!
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Reviewed by Natasha from Australia on 16th Apr 2005
This phone is like totlaly awesome dude!! It totally rocks!! You should so totally get this phone,the price is a bit high but the phone is worth it. Everyone out there......rock on dude!!!!! Rightous!!!
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Reviewed by IVAN from CROATIA on 14th Apr 2005
this is the best phone.ludo
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Reviewed by Krešo from Croatia on 13th Apr 2005
Best mobile i've ever had, it's remarcable.
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Reviewed by gorgeous glen from uk on 12th Apr 2005
ALMOST AS GOOD LOOKIN AS ME!! BRILLIANT PHONE EGNORE PEOPLE THAT GIVE THIS PHONE 1 * THEY ALL NEED TO GET A LIFE!!
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Reviewed by Me from UK on 11th Apr 2005
Dis fone is da best. All u peeps onli givin it 1* know ur just tlkin rubbish. Dis fone ROX!!!!!
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Reviewed by Daniel from New Zealand on 8th Apr 2005
Please dont read those reviews of the people who post 1 star reviews and say the phone is rubish this phone is great those people dont have anything better to do than mess up these reviews. This is an outstanding phone as one of the reviews below the person is complaining about how he cant play chess games. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN AN XBOX CHESS GAME!!! jeez just buy a chess set,this phone is good at what it supposed to do e.g video calls, mms, sms 1.3mp camera and everything you would expect in a sony ericsson phone. This phone is outstanding i recomend you go out and buy one now!
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Reviewed by Zulkifli from Macedonia on 8th Apr 2005
Pooooooooooooooooooorest phone ever seen. Don't buy it.
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Reviewed by andrew from UK on 6th Apr 2005
Phone is amazing. No words... I recommend it to everybody.
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Reviewed by Mike Jones from Canada on 5th Apr 2005
Not every new BMW will work perfect for the first while. One or two may have problems. Same with anything. The V800 is the Worlds most Perfect phone. Plane and simple. if you don't like it..it's because, it too high tech for you. And it that case you should get a 3 watt analog bag phone from the 80's - smile. V800 simply perfect
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Reviewed by ABACADO from UK on 3rd Apr 2005
Like Dude i fell in love with this phone like as soon as i saw it...... dude it looks sooooooo nice. its cool man.the price is a kind of set back and vaodafone has it at the moment....a fact that im very angry about. i wish it would come out on O2 but this phone looks cool and i think it must be cool too. DUDE!!!!!!!!
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Reviewed by Pete from Sweden on 2nd Apr 2005
Voted BEST 3G phone in the WORLD...Have hade a Nokia, Samsung and a Motorola, NOTHIN comes close to this baby !! Im not gonna repeat ALL the good points, read the other reviews, and ignore the deadbeat Nokia users comments... This phone is for those who want the best 5*****
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Reviewed by - from u.k on 26th Mar 2005
Iv'e owned several mobile phones in the past from all makes and models. This is the best yet!
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Reviewed by george from greece on 23rd Mar 2005
high quality camera a bit slow nice 3d games no zoom when taking photos very beautiful lovely images high quality sounds useful mp3 player
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Reviewed by Andrea from UK on 15th Mar 2005
Loved the retro styling, loved the camera, loved the navigation. Hated the unreliability of 3G, hated the can-i-can't-i make/receive calls, hated the fact you can't sort out your SMS messages. Final verdict? I've sent it back. What use are all these gizmos if you can't do the basic thing a mobile is for - ie make and receive calls. I'm being sent a Sony Ericsson S700i, having demanded NO MORE 3G. Wish me luck!
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Reviewed by Shelley from UK on 9th Mar 2005
shut up all you Nokia users! Your too thick to use anything other than a Nokia! Seriously though, I have had this phone since Last December when it came out with Vodafone. from the start I had comments from all my mates who are like you Nokia users that its massive and horrible looking, but when they saw what it does they soon shut up. I dont know what that person is doing wrong but I have got loads of games. Crash Bandicoot (pants) Tetris (addictive) and a few others. it plays full tracks so you can listen to that in your local wetherspoons, and the picture quality is fantastic. my mate has the nokia with the memory card and video recoreder and the picture quality is still poor, and it has no light for a better picture. overall the coverage for Vodafone is good, but as it has two networks, 3G & 2G going through, when it changes over it will cut you off during coversation, however i am told Vodafone are working on this. another thing, it should come with more memory card maga bite thingys and proper instructions on how to download your stuff from the phone to your PC. i have tried and failed! the Vodafone Live! is very fast too. overall, great phone and easy to use with regard to all your basic needs like picture messaging, texting, recording videos, also the 3G calling is good, but i would advise using the hands fee kit. you can hear better. Games graphics are great too. so get stuffed all you narrow minded Nokia losers! may i never get lumbered with one of those phones made for the simple people in the world!
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Reviewed by Riffy from UK on 1st Mar 2005
Rubbish - thats all I need to say. I had to return this phone, the dealer was unhappy but he did offer to reimburse my travel cost.
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Reviewed by Laura from UK on 28th Feb 2005
This phone is very poor. I have only had mine for 1 month and already I am onto my 3rd battery. I can't even use mine for 90mins worth of talktime. I also find that it has a tendency to overheat if i use it for more than 30mins. I wish i had got the Samsung D500 or any Nokia phone rather than this.
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Reviewed by xxx from uk on 25th Feb 2005
ignore the review below this is a fab phone! Better than all the nokia contenders go and get it its great
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Reviewed by lofty from netherlands on 21st Feb 2005
This is not at all what I expected. I am very disappointed. Have this phone for 2 m onths. Battery life is terrible. I wish I bought a Nokia.
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Reviewed by Jerry from USA on 18th Feb 2005
This Sony Ericsson V800 has a problem with the battery. After a month the battery life detiorates beyond use.Who wants to keep charging the phone while speaking ! I have to do it. And worse while the battery charge is nearing its end its rate of discharge increases. Didn't expect such engineering design from Sony Ericsson. Now I know why Nokia is market leader.
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Reviewed by milly tobar from australia on 17th Feb 2005
i think the phone is terable i'v had this phone for a little over a month.On full volume talking to someone you can barely hear them, i defentally recomend you not get this phone.
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Reviewed by Martin from England on 16th Feb 2005
Had a sharp 902 took it back as it was a house brick good camera though but not better tham my son cycber shot t33,this ericsson is a great stylish design easy to use and works with sony memory sticks.OUTSTANDING PHONE.
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Reviewed by Nic from Greater on 11th Feb 2005
great phone
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Reviewed by Jon Borley from United Kingdom on 10th Feb 2005
Absolutely superb........had this phone for just over a week now and it is by far the best, most advanced phone I have ever had. Plus points:- 1. Mp3 player is clear as a bell 2. Memory can be increased to 1GB :0 3. Video capture and playback is as clear as I've seen on a mobile phone 4. The 1.3 mega pixel camera is superb and very clear 5. If you are on the vodafone network, Vodafone live! is mega quick - browsing, streaming or downloading is extremely fast....u can download a ringtone in literally a couple of seconds :0 (no browsing charges either!!) 6. The battery life is surpisingly good for a 3G phone 7. Call sound is crystal clear 8. The phone menus are very user friendly Negative points:- NONE AS YET!!! Anyone who has posted a negative review about this phone is either lying or they are narrow minded people who only understand how to use a Nokia!! ;-)
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Reviewed by R!che from UK on 8th Feb 2005
Had phone 3 days and i love it its so sexy brill features easy to use have not made any video calls yet no 1 i know has a cool phone yet in short 4 what your paying this is a brill phone but not to everyones taste but its so damn sexy
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Reviewed by R from UK on 8th Feb 2005
ignore the review below
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Reviewed by rich from u.k on 4th Feb 2005
this phone is poor. i got it today and i am not happy wellllll... for a start it is not as good as the nokia 7610. well... all i cay say is buy the 6260 or the 7610! just thougfht id warn you all. richard S x
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Reviewed by Bob from England on 3rd Feb 2005
This phone is the best phone out in 2005. It should win an award for the best phone in 2005. Its even better than the ones that will come out late 2005
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Reviewed by tim84 from United Kindom on 1st Feb 2005
Very good phone. Having used many 3G phones this is by far the best. Excellent screen quality, good amount of memory and amazing battery life. Those people who say otherwise have clearly never seen the phone let alone used it.
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Reviewed by Paul from UK on 28th Jan 2005
I have owned this phone for two months now and his rates as one of the best phones Ive ever used. Although it looks big putting it alongside a T610 reveals it is nearly exactly the same size. The battery life is better than expected (especially compared to many 3g phones) and it very rarely run out on me. I had no problem downloading games, mp3s, video etc and the ability to watch the football highlights is superb. I have hardly used the camera apart from video calls and in those situations it is more than adequate displaying a clear, vivid picture. The sound quality is very good remaining clear with no problems with reception although I am sometimes unable to make videocalls due to coverage (but that is probably to be expected as Vodafone live is new). I find the ability to remote control a pc or mac via bluetooth a great feature and very easy to use. As yet no faults or problems and I dont know what people are saying when they say they cant download games or have poor battery life, maybe they should read the manual! Admitadly it comes with very few games but then its a phone not an XBox! and the range of games to download is more than enough which work with no problem.
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Reviewed by annonymous from uk on 17th Jan 2005
One of the best phones i have ever had. The flash and torch is amazing. The swivaling camera is an amazing feature awell. The mp3 player and loudspeaker is soo cool. The handsfree kit with the phone has good sound quality just like the loud speaker. My last phone was the 7610 and i rate this v800i much better than the 7610.
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Reviewed by kasrov from England on 17th Jan 2005
Could have been a better phone if they had patienecly worked on making it possible to play Chess Games on it as it doesnt allow you to and besides there are no interesting games. The whole essence of a 3G phone is to be able to download games which unfortunately it doesnt doooooooooooo
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Reviewed by johny from london on 16th Jan 2005
what is this fone, i had seen beter fones on my foot, the camera is really blurry, the screen resolution is rubbish and the the 3G barely works. the battery has lasts literally 2 minutes and dont make my start about the video messaging
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Reviewed by go from home on 14th Jan 2005
its a sony ericsson. nuf said. i mean really. how could u buy anything else. ?????????????????????????????????
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Reviewed by sarah from england on 10th Jan 2005
i love this fone, its really stylish and very easy to use, has ldz of memory which is wkd. best fone ive eva had, the battery lasts for ages too!
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Reviewed by Vivek from India on 9th Jan 2005
Yet again we see another brilliant phone from sony. Its leek retro design and its 1.3 megapixel camera put it above the rest. D500 watch out there is a new boy in town.
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Reviewed by Weevil from Australia on 8th Jan 2005
Rubbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbish, i do not care wat the other people think, big, clumsy menu style, bad shape, wat else, and where is the 0 * rating???????????????????????????????????????????????????
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Reviewed by Brendan from Australia on 8th Jan 2005
Currently only available with Vodafone in some Europe locations, can't wait until 3 make it available in AU. Looks great, pick of them at the moment. Will do until W-GPRS PDA's become available!
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Reviewed by NITISH SINGH from INDIA on 5th Jan 2005
EXCELLENT PHONE WILTH ALL THE FEATURES YOU NEED IN YOUR POCKET.AT AN AFFORDABLE COST,IT IS THE BEST PHONE AFTER S700i.SCRENN RESOLUTION IS VERY GOOD WITH BRILLIANT AUDIO.
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Sony Ericsson V800 links