Review: Sony Ericsson W350i

Sony Ericsson W350i Review

Phone rating:

In a nutshell: A budget music phone, with a Walkman music player, stereo headset, memory card slot, FM radio, Bluetooth and a very basic camera. Available in black, ice blue or white, the W350i is a very lightweight, slim phone, priced in the entry-level category at less than £100.
Best buy: £59.95 on Pay as you Go from Dialaphone.

The Sony Ericsson W350i is a slimline ultra-lightweight Walkman phone. The phone is strong in some areas and weak in others, but at under £100 you can't expect much more. If it ticks your boxes, then you'll like this phone.

The phone looks really smart. It's available in a choice of colours: Electric Black (Orange & Black), Hypnotic Black (Purple & Black), Ice Blue and Graphite White (pictured), and looks good in every colour. The phone is a flip design, although not a conventional clamshell, as the flip covers the keypad only. The display is visible when the flip is opened or closed, and the music functions are available too. Flip open the lower flip, and you'll find a good conventional keypad with nicely sized keys.

The main purpose of the W350i (apart from making calls and sending texts!) is to play music, and it does this very well. You could use this as an iPod Nano replacement, as its super-compact and lightweight, comes with Sony Ericsson's renowned Walkman player, and has an FM radio too. Stereo earphones are included in the sales package, or you could use a wireless Bluetooth headset instead. Our one complaint about the music capabilities of the phone is the small amount of built-in memory: just 14 Mbytes, which is enough to store a few MP3 tracks only. However, with a Memory Stick Micro added, you can store hundreds of tracks.

The W350i has a camera, but it's just about the worst camera you can find in a phone in 2008. Rated at just 1.3 megapixels, with no flash no autofocus and no video recorder, it's just a toy camera. This is the phone's worst feature. But if you can get over this, you'll find the W350i to be very good in its niche - a compact, lightweight, entry-level music phone.

Features of the Sony Ericsson W350i include:

• 1.3 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom
• Display: TFT, 262,144-colours, 176 x 220 pixels
• Stereo music player
• RDS FM Radio
• MegaBass™ for enhanced bass frequencies
• Integrated handsfree speaker
• MP3/AAC ringtones (40 voice polyphonic ringtones)
• Sound recorder
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, email
• 3D Java games
• Personal organiser functions
• Memory: 14 Mbytes plus Memory Stick Micro™ support
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB mass storage
• Flight mode
• GPRS, EDGE, web browser
• Vibrating alert
• Triband
• Size: 104 x 43 x 11 mm
• Weight: 75g
• Talktime: up to 7 hours
• Battery standby: up to 300 hours

Sony Ericsson W350i Consumer Reviews

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Average rating from 46 reviews:

Reviewed by Rachel. from England on 26th Aug 2008
ace phone. :)
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Reviewed by Luis from England on 26th Aug 2008
I saw this phone on a few adverts, assuming it was a high end walkman phone.. So when i was in phone store, i was looking at the Contract section [ thinking that this phone was to high end for PAYG] and i couldn't find it.. The man came over and asked me if i needed any help, i was like do you have the sony with the flip down bit, he then walked me over to the PAYG section.. i was shocked.. i then looked at the price and couldn't believe it.. The phone looks great and had a real retro flip down section like in all those pre 2000 movies when mobile phones just started getting tiny.. I think for anyone looking for a nice looking phone, on a low budget, this phone is ideal.. For loads of high end features, this isn't the phone.. The camera is at 1.3 megapixels.. which yeah, is a big naff.. I have a 5 mega pixel camera phone, and i would rather use my 10 mega pixel camera that was like £70..
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Reviewed by Navik from New Zealand on 23rd Aug 2008
well i just got this fone & i tyhink its awesome with the amount of features and stuff it can do. i just love the quality of the music but the only downside is the camera quality. overall i give it a 4/5. well cya l8a 'nd happy reviewing!
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Reviewed by Leah from uk on 19th Aug 2008
had one of these for 2 weeks and its grand!!!! Flip thing not flimsy at all and buttons are great for texting way better than my old lg shine!!! Music player ace would recommend highly!!!!
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Reviewed by marc from dundee on 14th Aug 2008
dam wright amazing
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Reviewed by Emma Stevenson from England on 14th Aug 2008
I usually buy expensive top range phones but on this occasion needed a cheaper option for work. However this is by far the best phone ive had no stupid un- needed extras and for the price the quality is outstanding. The camera could be better but othat than that its wicked. It looks so stylish too. Love it!
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Reviewed by India Hutchinson from England on 11th Aug 2008
this fone is minted even tho ppl say the flip is flimsy it aint and it made with gd material. if ur lukin for a music fone this if for u but if u looking for gd camera get a cyber shot. the camera is 1.3 mp and i think it should be at least 2mp. its stylish and fits in ur pocket easily i love the white or black and orange. this fone is the best and i cant wait to get next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! minted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Reviewed by ganesan.m from india on 9th Aug 2008
supper phone
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Reviewed by nathaniel from uk on 5th Aug 2008
this phone impress da gals lol..... wel da white 1 onli lol its g8 i jus got it
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Reviewed by mister popovsky from London, UK on 3rd Aug 2008
this phone is great for music and java games. i knew there was no video shooting option but its a shame that u cant rewind or forward when u watch a video! otherwize great great phone! 8/10
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Reviewed by joanne from england on 2nd Aug 2008
a hav had tis fone for 4 weeks of summit it crashes all the time th camera is rubbish but th rest is ok
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Reviewed by Hollie from UK on 2nd Aug 2008
This Phone Is Fab!
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Reviewed by Huzy from Manchester on 1st Aug 2008
I bought this phone today, £59.99 from Carphone Warehouse on T-Mobile, great bargain! It's a great phone for its price, nice design, although the camera is average. I f you're looking for a budget walkman phone, buy the W350i!
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Reviewed by ALEX from UK on 1st Aug 2008
ITS REALLY GOOD BUT WHY !!!!! CANT U TAKE VIDEOS THAT PART IS RUBBISH
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Reviewed by Micheal from Singapore on 27th Jul 2008
I just bought the phone, and i have to say that it is rubbish, the w580i is a much better choice, and it also is quite cheap. You cannot even open the flip thing at the bottom with one hand, and comared to the other sony ericsson phones, this one's speakers are really soft. Also, i agree that the camera is rubbish, and i was devastated when there was no video mode.
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Reviewed by TINY TINCHLESS from LONDON on 26th Jul 2008
THIS PHONE IS JUST THE BEST I LOVE EVERYTING BOUT IT ESPECIALLY THE WALKMAN PART WWWWWOOOOOOWWWWWWW
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Reviewed by dan quinn from england on 25th Jul 2008
the phone isnt that good. if it is brand new it should have a better camera and be like a new phone like the new cyber shot. not a very good phone
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Reviewed by Kier from UK on 25th Jul 2008
I've had this phone for 2 weeks now and think it is ok for what it costs. The camera is basic but i knew this when i bought it. The screen size is large enough considering the size of the phone. The keys are really good an feel ok when texting. The mp3 players sounds good but could be a little louder. The only downside is the flip front which is very very flimsy. There are better phones in this price range but not many that look as good.
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Reviewed by Sonny from England on 25th Jul 2008
I got this phone about a week ago it was goin fine. And then a week later the meory card slot moved out of place. Argghh Im So Angry. The phone was brilliant until the card moved out of place. I dont know what to do or how to move the memory card slot back into place. Please Help.
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Reviewed by SoPhIe M from Uk on 23rd Jul 2008
VERRRRYYYY SSSXXXCCCCC FFFOOONNNEEE !!!!!!! AWSOM $ PEEPZ DAT WANT A FONE 4 MUSIC BT COULD USE A BETTA CAMRA MAYBE 2MP OR MORE. IT HASNT GOT A 'CHEAP' FLIP AS PEOPLE SAY IT HAS SO DONT LET THAT PUT YOU OFF! BT DO BUY IT MUCH BETTA THAN MI LG CHOCOLATE!!!! SO IF U LYK MUSIC THEN GET DIS FONE!!!!!
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Reviewed by SAM from ENGLAND on 22nd Jul 2008
i love this fone so much, i would defenetly advise you to buy it. finally sony bring out a phone with stereo earphones! amazing. my only problem with the phone is that it does not have a video recorder or video dj. xx
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Reviewed by Jess from England on 16th Jul 2008
I got this phone yesterday, I love it. I wasn't looking for an all singing all dancing phone, I wanted something with a memory card so I could have it as a music player. I have to say it has really good speakers and the radio is good. Its a really easy phone to use and I got used to it quickly (I used to have a Nokia and this is really similar) So if you want a good camera, buy one...but if you want a good phone for calls, texting, music and reasonable photos this is a good choice
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Reviewed by mikey from scotland on 16th Jul 2008
amazing holds bout 200 SONGS i got mine for £80 in PHONES4U mesij TO !!!!!!EVRY 1 BUY IT NOW!!!!!
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Reviewed by max from uk on 15th Jul 2008
had it for a week and took it back as it wasnt very good the size and weight is great but the camera is rubbish and the flip thing is sooo flimsy - i pulled it off 5 times by accident go for a better sony ericsson, well worth it
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Reviewed by Riz from London, England on 9th Jul 2008
Nice to see a phone which breaks away from the candybar and sliders of today, and those cumbersome clamshells that still exist! Takes it back to the flip-phones Ericsson (as they used to be called back then) became renowned for. An excellant phone with active flip and a screen that is very bright; camera is undoubtly on the basic side, no video recording capabilites only playback as such, but seems geared towards its excellant audio player that Sony is synonymous with. You are paying more for the phones design and appearance than for its technical specifications and at the price level of around £60 sterling, you can't really expect too much. There are worse phones out there at more than this price. In summary, it is overall very slim and lightweight, has a decent battery life, comes with a 512 MB memory stick in the box, all the cables/software/headphones etc. included which all in all makes for very decent packaged phone.
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Reviewed by foni from england on 7th Jul 2008
A great phone for someone easy to please!!! As it has a camera of 1.3 megs but not much else a real looker though
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Reviewed by Kayleigh from England on 5th Jul 2008
I Think This Phone Is Very Good ... The Camera Is 1.3 Megapixels But It Is Still Good. It Can Hold Up To 1,920 Songs On It , I Would Recommend This Phone To Every1 x The Only Thing Is I Am Abit Scared About The Flap To Break. At The Minute This Is The Best Phone I Have Had In Absoutly Ages I Recommend People Not To Buy The LG Chocolate Because It Marks Very Easily
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Reviewed by Dave from UK on 2nd Jul 2008
A neat little pocket rocket of a phone, will still look well designed in 5 years. Dont buy it for the camera.Flip down is fairly flimsy (dont use it to clean out you Hamsters cage)This phone will take you back to the 70s. Its a Star Trek communicator lookalike. Beam me up Scotty!!
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Reviewed by atjnn from india on 27th Jun 2008
it's a sleek phone and the walkman is good but video recorder is not present. the keypad is impressive but the sreen is too small.... i want a phone which i require the followin features 2 mp camera and mp3 player ,expadble memory
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Reviewed by sik from england on 26th Jun 2008
sik phone
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Reviewed by Samantha...x from Somerset, England on 25th Jun 2008
I bought this phone a week ago and even though it doesnt have a video recorder it is the bst phone i have owned, i love it the design it is amazing (mine is black and orange). Had no problems wif it so far. The flip is not flimsy or cheap like i have heard some people say. Very good features and games memory is brilliant! You can buy a 2GB memory card with is wicked. Sony Ericsson have won me over with this phone (& i am a very fussy person) xxxx
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Reviewed by keith from scotland on 25th Jun 2008
this is a good little cheap phone. it is very well styles and well priced. i have had this for two days and it seems to be good however the camera is quite bad.it is said to be 1.3 megapixels but really its 1 megapixel and you cant zoom when in the one megapixel setting, you have to set it down to vga for 2x and qvga for 4x zoom. this phone is very good for music. it comes with a 512mb memory card which is good. the buttons on the cool flip are good and vibrate when pressed. the earphones that are supplied with the phone are very good quality and have an exelent sound. if you are not bothered about a good quality camera (which doesnt record video) then this is a good phone but if not then i would suggest a more expensive cyber shot phone. the only way this coul be better in my opinion is a better 2 megapixel camera and a slightly larger screen.
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Reviewed by amey from india on 25th Jun 2008
good one
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Reviewed by billy from england on 24th Jun 2008
i think the w350i is a very good phone and i have got the unlocking code for it so i can use any sim cards mint
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Reviewed by Dwellur from England on 22nd Jun 2008
This is a great phone. Its looks are amazing and its conviniently placed buttons on the outside make listening to music a happy experience. However, thhis phone is only for peole who want to listen to their music a lot and not use their phone for other things such as taking pictures. It has a 1.3 megpixel camera which is a disgrace for most phones but if your like me and dont take pictures on a regular basis, than its fine. And if it has video recording capabilities on it...than i havn't found them yet. Sounds negative but like i said before, its for people who like their music and dont need anything else.
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Reviewed by sadiya abdi from cardiff on 21st Jun 2008
outstanding stylish fone i bort ih last week , looks like an ipod comes with a memory card so it has lots of space u shud buy this fone buh it needs a 2mp uthawise 10/10
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Reviewed by tiny tinchless from england on 21st Jun 2008
jus the bes fone eva, it lks kl it so amazin
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Reviewed by sophiie -lea from mersey side on 20th Jun 2008
this fone iz da best fone i eva had its gurjus
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Reviewed by bradley lobo from england on 20th Jun 2008
i think this is a amazing phone and you should buy it.
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Reviewed by tzk from england on 18th Jun 2008
The Phone Is Fab My Cuz Has It, The Flip Is Very Sturdy And Made With Good Material. Would Like A 2Mp Cam But Its Fine, Good Pics But Thats Why They Make Cyber-shots!? Love It And Hope They Make A Upgraded Version With 2-3Mp Cam And The Big Screen/Features Of The W910i-w760i etc. I Think It Will Sell Very Well.
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Reviewed by john m from england on 16th Jun 2008
it look mint and it can hold an amazing amout of songs woow A+++
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Reviewed by daz from england on 13th Jun 2008
looksmint i think is a good phone but need a 2mega pixle camera tho
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Reviewed by Dudicoff from London on 7th Jun 2008
This phone is small, amazing and stylish..does everything a phone should do and more! 10 out of 10!!!
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Reviewed by karuna from india on 7th Jun 2008
i really didn't like this phone so beeter luck next time may b next time v'll get d better 1.....
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Reviewed by laurie from england on 3rd Jun 2008
WANT it BUY it its amazing !!! lovely so snazzy!!!!!!!! BUY BUY
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Reviewed by Lewis from UK on 3rd Jun 2008
Seems ok, The flip bit seems abit cheap and could easily break
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