Original
review: November 2005. Last updated January 2009.
The W550i is another Walkman™ branded phone
from Sony Ericsson. It's a swivel action phone, like the Sony
Ericsson S700i from last year. When closed, you can use the
music functions of the phone, play games and access the menu. The
phone is easy to open, and you then have access to the full keypad.
The numeric keypad isn't the easiest to use, but it's acceptable.
The W550i is available in a choice of three colours: Universe Blue,
Orchid White and Vibrant Orange, with changeable covers.
As
you'd expect from a phone carrying the Walkman logo, there's a digital
music player and a built-in FM radio. Putting music onto the W550i
is easy, as CD-ripping PC software is supplied with the phone. Using
the Bluetooth connection you can drag and drop MP3 tracks from your
PC to the phone. Flight mode lets you use the music player whilst
on an aircraft.
The phone also has a good 1.3 megapixel camera plus
a video camera. There's an easy-to-use menu for the camera functions,
and a dedicated camera button. The screen is large (1.8") and
high quality, with 262,000 colours.
The W550i is also designed for games, with dedicated
gaming buttons. Games are played with the phone horizontal, making
it easy to hold like a games console, and also making best use of
the screen. You can use Bluetooth for wireless multi-player games.
The phone is easy to use, with an icon-driven desktop
and an intuitive menu. A file manager application is used to move
music tracks and other items. Voice control can be used to answer
or reject calls, and to make calls from your phonebook.
In conclusion, the W550i is a good phone for music
lovers. Although there's no memory card, 256 Mbytes is more than
most phones and is enough to make this into a useable MP3 player
(enough for around 75 tracks). The sound quality is excellent. The
camera is good, though not as good as the W800i's,
and the screen is also good, though not as large as that on the
S700i. The phone is generally
very easy to use, although the keypad is not ideal for texting.
However the W550i is not a reliable phone. Many users have suffered
from a problem where the screen turns white and the phone has to
be replaced, and some users have reported temperemental Bluetooth
connectivity. The Sony Ericsson
W800i is a much better option.
Features of the Sony Ericsson W550i include:
Walkman media player with Mega Bass™ and
stereo widening
FM radio with RDS
Stereo headset supplied
1.3 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom, photo
light and picture editor
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
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Average
rating from 100 reviews:
Reviewed by Billy from Ulster on
12th Feb 2006
I have had this phone for nearly a week now and it is brill i hav
had no problems with it so far. i hav decided to keep away from
the disc-2-phone software as i hav only heared bad things from it.
so my overal review is that it is brill and would advise people
to go and buy it now!!!!!!!! 1 more thing keep away from o2 as they
are bad at getting phones in and holding them for you!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Reviewed by Yazzi from United Kingdom,
Scotland on 12th Feb 2006
This phone is great!The sound is amazing and the camera/vidio camera
are at great quality. The down side to this phone is the thinkness
it's a little to fat. But don't let that put you off many people
love my phone. Great phone for music lovers! Rating:
Reviewed by Mandy from NZ on
8th Feb 2006
This is without a doubt the best phone I have owned. I have not
experienced any of the problems that have been described, such as
the "white screen" or any connection problems. The swivel action
of the handset is original and very nifty, and the keys, whilst
they take some getting used to, are easy to use. Menus are very
intuitive, making accessing and deleting data relatively simple.
With a 1.3 megapixel camera, photos taken on this phone are of excellent
quality and the MP3 player has brilliant sound clarity. Aside from
these functions, there are many other useful applications. Calendar,
flashlight, notepad, sound recorder, task manager, timer, stopwatch,
calculator...the list goes on. This phone is a piece of technological
genius and I would recommend it to anyone. Purchase this baby, you
won't regret it. Rating:
Reviewed by Yoon from England on
8th Feb 2006
I recieved this phone this morning. I just used for 11 hours, but
it is white screened 2 times already with funny noise!! It is just
juck!! I should taken other's advices...... Never buy any Sony Ericsson
forever!! Rating:
Reviewed by Becki. from UK on
7th Feb 2006
this fone is ace apart from the white screening thing. it has just
happened to me and i hate it. im trying to find out if i can send
it back. I WILL DEFFO NOT BE GETTING THIS PHONE AGAIN! Rating:
Reviewed by paul from england on
6th Feb 2006
i've had mine less than a week and it's dead. it was acting up after
a couple of days-more wank, man than walkman. real probs when trying
to move mp3's onto the phone and delete them from the phone... all
i got now is the sony ericsson logo on the screen, all the buttons
lit up, but none of em do anything anymore. at least it was a free
upgrade, and i can junk it without losing any money on it. i'd hate
to think i'd paid full price for that p.o.c.! i'm going back to
the nokia's next time. this phone is a stinking lousy turd-avoid
at all costs! Rating:
Reviewed by Ben from Australia on
5th Feb 2006
I have found this phone to be really frustrating since it has a
lot of bugs. I have had situations where I would receive a call
and the phone would vibrate but after taking the call and talking
to the other person on the line, the phone is still vibrating. After
the call, I would turn off the phone and it would still be vibrating.
I needed to remove the battery to stop it. I thought it was just
a faulty phone but I had it exchanged and the same issue occurred.
Other issues are: (1) Even after I remove silent mode on, I would
miss calls since the phone still thinks its on silent mode. (2)
When playing MP3s, suddenly it would just stop playing. After selecting
a new song, it would state that the file could not be found. (3)
Images would suddenly be stated as not available. (4) The games
would freeze. The only way to resolve it is to restart it but I
found that an hour or so after I restart it, the same issues occur.
Hope that would deter people from buying this phone. Or at least
heed this warning. Rating:
Reviewed by harry bots from wales on
4th Feb 2006
this is the best phone i have ever had!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Rach from UK on 3rd
Feb 2006
Had this phone for 4 months before it 'white screened'. Was very
upset that O2 had to send me a completely new handset as I lost
all my numbers/pictures and they even kept the nice white fascia
as the orange one is awful. The new handset hasn't white screened
yet, but the lock button on the side is temperamental and I'm generally
a bit disappointed. The features are great. V. easy to use and have
previously been very impressed with Sony Ericsson - never encountered
any probs before. Please don't let the W550i put you off S.E phones
forever. But it's not the best phone, better off with the W800i. Rating:
Reviewed by Steven from United Kingdom
on 2nd Feb 2006
After being pleased with the Ericsson K700i and having no problems
with it I decided to upgrade to the W550i, and so far I haven't
been disappointed. Superb phone Rating:
Reviewed by Joe schultz from england
on 31st Jan 2006
ive had my sony ericsson w550i for 2 days and its white screened
its a piece of junk ! its got great features wen it works but i
dont think this phone shud be aloud to be sold. i bought mine from
argos and they wont take it back so thanks to the people that make
this phone now im £180 down !!!!!!!!! LOL dont buy this phone Rating:
Reviewed by Kathryh Smith from South
Wales on 31st Jan 2006
THE WORST PHONE I HAVE EVER PURCHASED..... had the phone for 15
days and it white screened, I switched the phone off took battery
out - replaced it and couldn't get the phone back on. Rang network
provider and they replaced it received my new handset on the 7th
December 2005 and now 30th January 2006 - guess what it doesn't
work!!!! Rang manufacturer to be told I have to send the handset
in for repair... so great that means not only am I with out a phone
for prob. a month or so I have to spend out on the postage aswell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SONY ERICSSON ARE A PIECE OF >>>>>>>>>>>> I WILL NEVER GET ANOTHER
CONTRACT PHONE WITH THEM AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rating:
Reviewed by hash from UK on 30th
Jan 2006
good phone only few comments: - fidly but unique design - no memory
card slots - horrible orange-coloured cover (standard cover given
free) - no hole for your lanyard - can't charge phone and plug in
ear phones! - has a few software errors (download a games from o2
and it deleted the other ones!) - easy and friendly user-interface
- above average reception - not imode compatible - the ear phones
provided are not comfortable and do not adapt for people with tiny
ear lobes (teenagers) - fast and easy computer connection - fair
price at £150 on o2 - the buttons feel like they will get stuck
overall this phone is quite good and i will be keeping it for a
while thanx for reading my review Rating:
Reviewed by stuart from england on
29th Jan 2006
have not even had phone 1 day use the supplied software disc2phone
and low and behold the phones now totally white screened and cannot
use sending back and not getting another sony ericsson ever again Rating:
Reviewed by Ste from England on
29th Jan 2006
mine and my friends will not work Rating:
Reviewed by kris from - on 29th
Jan 2006
this phone is da bomb!!!! the menus r accesable nd the kepad is
easy to use. when opeed it fits nicley into the palm of your hand.
the text messages r a bit shabby nd there is no space to put a mini
sd card in but its got 256mb internal memory which is more than
most phones e.g motorola pepl,5mb internal memory!!!!wtf. so if
you are thinking of bying this phone, do it now NOW NOW!!!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Simon from uk on
26th Jan 2006
I had a samsung 600 which by all accounts is a top phone,but i had
nothing but problems with it and i looked to change models.I came
across sony's w550i and not only was impressed with its looks (as
looks aint everything)i was impressed with the features a usable
mp3 player which is ample enough for me,fm radio with rds aswell
as being a high spec phone.Good camera,nice alround I.M.O. Ive had
mine for about a month now and have had no problems with it whats
so ever.Top phone couldnt be happier :) Rating:
Reviewed by A CHAPPELL from ENGLAND
on 25th Jan 2006
I got this phone in december and i am very pleased with it. i have
always had nokia phones but i decided to go for something different
and i am glad i did . it took a bit of getting use to but it was
worth it, the menu system is very easy to understand and is quite
user friendly. the mp3 player is fantastic and gives out very good
sounds, at the moment i have 51 songs with room for more, for me
this phone has got plenty of memory, also the camera takes as good
photos as any other mobile phone camera that i have seen. the battery
lasts ages and the phone is just the right size to fit in your pocket
with out getting in the way. overall i think this phone looks great
and it performs very well and i would recommend this phone to any
one. Rating:
Reviewed by elle from england on
25th Jan 2006
ive had my fone 4 a few weeks now and i love it, i think it's brill! Rating:
Reviewed by androo from vietnam on
25th Jan 2006
its the best phone in the world !! great colour but .. only bad
thing is 256 mb.. ! u need 512..!=) Rating:
Reviewed by big G from northern ireland
on 25th Jan 2006
i have had this little phone for 10 days now.it brill ! the screen
is crystal clear,games not bad,easy to use but the sounds are out
of this world for a phone.use the loud speaker to talk on the phone
or listen music.most things are are easy to use.the only down side
is the keypad is slightly harder to text on.the phone is used side
on to play games on and i think this is a great idea as it make
use of the whole screen....great phone.go and buy one now....touch
wood i have had no problems with this phone and i hope it stays
this way.......this phone is something special..the orange cover
is a required taste but it is changable,but i think it is coooooooooool.. Rating:
Reviewed by Lolly from UK on
22nd Jan 2006
after a few weeks after i submitted my last review for this phone,
the phone white screened 3 times within 2 weeks 1st and 2nd time
it worked after taking the battery in then out but the 3rd time
it wouldnt work after doing that so i sent it back to 02 but they
will only replace it with the same model which sucks as i really
dont want to risk the same problem happening again! Rating:
Reviewed by i h8 moshers from england
on 22nd Jan 2006
dis phone is great buy it ive got the orange case on now because
it looks mint but i want a green caseiv ive got 38 songs 5 videos
and 15 pics and 7 games and if your computer is slower than win
2000 your data lead won't work so i used a bluetooth dongle which
is easier and is only 10:00 hope i helped {linden} Rating:
Reviewed by Mike from England on
19th Jan 2006
as soon as i went into the o2 shop 2 see wot fones they had i saw
this nd new it wos guna be sumfin special. ive given it 4 starts
purely becos i think it shood hav bigger memory or at leest a memory
thing 2 put it in like the w800i and the w900i. But otherwise the
camera,walkman,games hav bin absolutly perfect! coodnt be happier
with it.it hasnt white screened or anyfin els like that eiver.best
fone ive had so far Rating:
Reviewed by Hamid from Iran on
21st Jan 2006
Quite Good, Not Only Provide You With The Feature of Walkman but
also shows off the outstanding look. Rating:
Reviewed by Jamie Collins from UK on
20th Jan 2006
This phone confuses me. I got it in mid-december and was chuffed
with it. After about a week problems developed and I'm waiting to
replace it. If you get a working one, 4 stars. If you experience
the common problems, 2 stars. My advice, Don't buy it, you can get
a SE V600/608 for roughly the same price and it's miles better! Rating:
Reviewed by Ian T from UK on
18th Jan 2006
Not a bad little phone but the key-lock on the side of the phone
is very tempremental, I'm often getting the phone out of my pocket
to find the lock has been turned off and I've been connected to
the Internet. Also, you can't change the font size of text messages
and they can be quite difficult to read unless you have perfect
eyesight. Rating:
Reviewed by Debs from uk on 17th
Jan 2006
Great phone, has everything you need and more, don't think i shall
be going back to nokia again. If you are considering buying this
snazzy baby...i suggest you go for it. Rating:
Reviewed by Sav from UK on 16th
Jan 2006
Fantastic phone, very impressed, has tons of memory and is alot
better than some phones on the market within the price range. I
have found bluetooth easy to use and transfering mp3s and pics from
pc to phone and vice versa simple and straight forward. I wasn't
sure which phone to buy at first and narrowed it down to this or
the samsung D500, sooo glad i decided on this one :) I love it!!! Rating:
Reviewed by shane from australia on
16th Jan 2006
i have owned ths phone for 3 weeks and i've replaced it 3 times.
The sound never work, so i sleep in all the time, it white screens,
the cameras memory doesn't work half the time, and then after taking
picturess it switches off, it keeps vibrating even after you answer
the phone, and the only way to stop it vibrating is turn the thing
off!! I wouldn't recomend this phone to anyone, its an absolute
bit of junk!!!! Oh yeah, one more thing, the first call or message
you send at the start of the day, that will switch it of to, so
yeah,don't buy this phone. Rating:
Reviewed by khalid from syria on
12th Jan 2006
i think this fone is wonderful i have had itr for two days and i
have to say i am really impressed by the walkman and camera feature
if only they had put in a slot for mem cards like the W900i. the
camera, radio, walkman, bluetooth everything works fine dunno what
some of the people are on about but you know some just like complaining.
i love the orange colour and the themes are excellent. could have
better ringtones tho. the headphones are beautiful and the quality
is bloody amazing.it has 3 external speakers and it just blows u
away. it cannot be put into words. dont buy this phone please cuz
i wanna be the only one with an outstanding phone Rating:
Reviewed by Khurram Javed from Pakistan
on 12th Jan 2006
its a unique set but i m getting a bit software prob such as screen
goes white 4 a while otherwise i like this phone. its the 1st sony
ericsson phone that i m using after alot of nokia, samsung, motorolla,
lg, and panasonic sets and i found it better but i alwayz recommend
samsung for better screen/ cam results. Rating:
Reviewed by Thebe from Botswana on
12th Jan 2006
The design is very unique and the button placements makes it fun
to work with. The camera is relatively good and I enjoy the music
features. The only drawback so far that's a bit disappointing is
that the rotatable screen doesn't go 360 degrees. Still a great
phone though... Rating:
Reviewed by rui from spain on
11th Jan 2006
a great design but full of flaws, this is my third model in one
mouth(yeah 3 replaces), usb malfunction, hungs up in java aplications,
the white screen problem,, etc... and today... i cant get to power
up this BAD BUILD phone, so this will be my last sonyericsson, im
gonna change it for a motorola or something, my sincere advice stay
away from this phone, cute but...silly!! Rating:
Reviewed by ashiq from singapore on
10th Jan 2006
gr8 phone!!!has all da features... i rate 4 out of five as cameras
have come into the 2 mp region Rating:
Reviewed by Iwan from Wales on
7th Jan 2006
This phone is amazing, so glad I changed from my useless Nokia! Rating:
Reviewed by George from Greece on
7th Jan 2006
Don't buy it.It is so simple.It gets stucked all the time and the
bluetooth doesn;t work.After reflashing it the problems still occur.I
send it back to the service center and i got it back with the same
problems.It is a nice looking phone but has serious problems with
its firmwire and software. Rating:
Reviewed by Newton from Singapore on
7th Jan 2006
I just got this phone not long ago and have been very happy about
it. Personally i did not like all 3 colours which they provided
and would apprecate if they could produce other colors like green
or lighter blue. All in all, the phone rocks as a mp3 player and
game system is excellent. Rating:
Reviewed by Alex from UK on 5th
Jan 2006
Although this phone has most things you'd want, it's a bit chunky
and the swivel mechanism is awkard. I also found the fact that it
has no slot for a memory card extremely annoying as 256MB of internal
memory just isn't enough. I've had it for 2 days and am sending
it back and swapping it for a W800i Rating:
Reviewed by Nad from England on
5th Jan 2006
A hot phone, more importantly, a hot ORANGE phone! ;] Cannot fault
it really, the only downside is the memory. You say there's enough
for around seventy songs, yet the first thing I did when I got the
phone was upload some tracks, around thirty...and the memory has
basically been zapped! =P Not good, but I'm sure I'll survive. Everything
else is just pure amazingness though, even the simple things like
how the keys glow orange just wows me, haha, but it doesn't take
much to impress moi xP So all in all, pretty much a top phone =] Rating:
Reviewed by prd from england on
3rd Jan 2006
one of the most stylish looking mobiles around, with lots of good
features, ive had the phone for a couple of weeks and i think it
is great, it really stands out in front of a crowd, the mp3 player
is great and i have already fitted more than the 75 songs that it
is stated to fit!! would definatly recommend to anyone wanting to
purchase a new phone! Rating:
Reviewed by Pete from UK on 2nd
Jan 2006
This Sony W550i 'Walkman' mobile phone really rocks, it looks great
and sounds even better, mp3 sound quality through supplied (above
average quality) head phones is excellent as are all the other features.
I have owned many Nokia phones before including the 7210 and 6310i
but this sony product tempted me away from the Nokia brand and I
have no regrets whatsoever. Supplied with easy to use CD ripping
software and used in conjunction with a bit rate of 128k bps this
unit easily holds four albums with high quality sound. Just buy
it you won’t regret it. Through headphones the sound is really
good and through a home stereo system this walkman will blow you
completely and utterly away. Oh and did I forget to mention it’s
also a phone as well and a reasonably good digital camera .......
what more could you want. Rating:
Reviewed by Paula from Norway on
1st Jan 2006
This phone is very very good!! Not just the design wotks great for
using, but the functions are fun AND very easy to work with. The
functionalities are many and it is very speciall, with a good mp3
player. LOve it!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Lee from UK on 1st
Jan 2006
Hiya Ive often looked at this site when choosing a new mobile (which
is very often!) and am pleased to finally have a phone I want to
write my own review on. I change my phone regularly either through
Carphone Warehouses' 90 day opt out insurance or by getting yet
another contract, Ive tried nearly all of them, K750i, D500, E720,
to name but a few, and currently D600, which I must add is now going
back next week. But the W550i beats them all hands down! It took
me a couple of days to get used to it and figure out how to transfer
songs onto the mp3 player and very nearly took it back until i discovered
the shop had given me the wrong software! Once I had the right stuff
it was well easy! I agree with most that its a shame the memory
cant be extended but its easy to live with, all great loves come
with some flaws!! I hate using bluetooth so was always missing calls
in the car as driving and talking is 1 of my pet hates even though
its illegal it galls me to see other people flout the law! My current
D600 was useless to hear my caller using handsfree but I made a
call the other day using speaker phone with the W550i and it was
so clear I couldve sworn the other person was in the car with me!
The keys take some getting used to and I have quite small hands
but Im getting there and I havent needed them much. Not sure what
else to write about this phone other than its absolutely fantastic
and would highly recommend it to anyone! It looks gorgeous and its
packed with loads of wonderful features, too many to mention. Rating:
Reviewed by george 24 from greece on
31st Dec 2005
this phone is great,the sound is great the mobile camera can take
picturs beatiful.there is and mp3,radio,bluetuth and also there
are and bass with media player. Rating:
Reviewed by luke from wales on
31st Dec 2005
i fink this is a gr8 fone 1 fing tho bout the camera dosent zoom
in but other then tha it is an awesome phone im well happy avin
it as my phone :D Rating:
Reviewed by Cat from Ireland on
31st Dec 2005
Ive now had this phone for a week, I am very pleased so far. I'm
starting to run out of memory now, but I have 60 songs which isn't
at all bad! Lovely looking, its got some wonderful features that
who-ever thought of adding should get a pat on the back! One problem
has occured however when my MP3 file went corrupt and then missing
completely. After numerous attempts to get it back I concluded this
was impossible, but it still plays MP3s without the file. Wierd,
but as long as it doesnt et any worse! I was also suprised to hear
ppl say the battery life was good- unfortunately mine lasts 1-2
days! I guess its because I use the MP3 player so much! These are
my only 2 complaints though, I truly love this phone! Reccommended. Rating:
Reviewed by lewie05 from england on
30th Dec 2005
great phone i would recomend it to ne 1 it the best Rating:
Reviewed by R4u from GREECE on
29th Dec 2005
Nice phone unstuppable design juct a little big.The best quality
of sound from the dubble sterephonics with megabass and u can dawnload
up to 110 hits.He had a camera 1.3 mpx with 262.000 k Rating:
Reviewed by Simon from Scotland on
27th Dec 2005
Exellent phone for students like me and some of the people i know
at uni, good price (now £149.99) plenty of memory and features,
a memory card would have been nice but as most of us have laptops
or pcs that we use regularly its not really a problem, overall for
a reasonable price phone its pretty good Rating:
Reviewed by Alex G from UK on
27th Dec 2005
This phone is excelent. Great everything: screen, games, menu, layout,
speaker, keypad, basiclly everything except for the software that
comes with it. DISC2PHONE IS EVIL. as sone as you use this programe
it rewrites the firmware, it uploads something onto the phone so
that it white screens making it not work AT ALL. i have sent it
back to o2 and should be getting a new one sometime soon. i dont
plan to be using the software next time. SPREAD THE WORD!!! DONT
USE DISC2PHONE, USE MY MP3 PRO OR SOMETHING ELSE EXCEPT DISC2PHONE.... Rating:
Reviewed by Oliver from England on
26th Dec 2005
This is a brilliant phone ive only had it for two days and i am
amazed with everything it can do and also the quality of everything.
Best phone you could ever bye absolutely brilliant!!!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Simi from UK (england) on
26th Dec 2005
i got this fone yesterday on x mas.. n itz amazinggg! it has absoloutly
everything and i just loe it.. the camera is vvv good...the sound
quality fab and everyting.. the battery.. just an amazing fone...go
and buy 1!!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Timo from England on
26th Dec 2005
I've just bought this to replace my Nokia 3230. So far so good,
never had a Sony b4 and I must say I'm really pleased. The feel
of it's nice and smooth, I can text 1 handed (the rest of you should
try concentrating on driving instead). Compared to the 3230 the
camera isn't that much different, no zoom tho but at least you get
some light. I don't think you need much more than 256Mb for a phone,
if you want an mp3 player buy an mp3 player. The sound is fantastic
for it's size, stereo too. I haven't tried bluetooth and did have
some problem getting the software to load onto my PC, but the file
transfer rate just blows the Nokia to the kerb. Apart from txting
there's no real need to roll open the phone, the menu's are if anything
better than Nokia's and as a Nokia nut that's a great compliment.
I would recommend this phone to anyone. Rating:
Reviewed by Dan from Ebgland on
21st Dec 2005
1 word descrobes this phones outstanding!! Rating:
Reviewed by davy mac from n. ireland
on 21st Dec 2005
great phone, a real head turner unlike nokia 6230i i had before,
blows it away completely in every respect, £179 on o2 pay & go,
then take off £20 for trade in with a really old phone that didnt
work + £20 of credit put on sim, not a bad price either, maybe even
better after xmas. Rating:
Reviewed by Lolly from UK on
19th Dec 2005
I got this phone nearly 3 weeks ago on 02 online 100 contract and
love most things about the phone! the only problem i have with it
is having the keypad lock button on the side as it can be turned
off in my bag which is very annoying as it can then go onto the
internet which i dont want it to do! all in all this is better than
any of the past phones ive had since the begining of 2004 (nokia
3200, nokia 3220, sony ericsson z600, motorola v600, samsung e700,
motorola c550, sendo m550,nec e228 and the siemens A51) Rating:
Reviewed by Deepak from India on
19th Dec 2005
I have been using this phone for nearly 3 weeks now, and am very
happy with it. It seems I am the only one having this wherever I
go and everybody compliments me for this phone. :) The swivel action
is unique and when people I know try to open it they do get confused
and I have to tell them the way and they're like WOW!!! The sound
quality is amazing, even at 64 kbps, the Disc2Phone s/w is cool.
It even plays the video on fullscreen. The games are supercool,
I like the Worms3D. And have downloaded a horde of other games like
MotoGp, MotoRaces and rainbox Six etc. The camera quality is not
superb but it gives good size photos and if the light is appropriate
they come out looking good. My friends are impressed and many are
waiting for the price to go down so they could grab it. :) I have
aroung 50 songs at 64kbps, 5-6 clips of abt 2-3 minutes and the
usual themes, ringtones, wallpapers and still have about 100MB space
free. Would have given it 5 stars if only it would not hang sometimes,
specially when you are using java apps and get a phone call in between.
My advice go for it!! Rating:
Reviewed by Jason from USA on
10th Dec 2005
I bought this phone when in the UK as it is not yet released in
the US. Although I had reservations about the phone working in the
US, I am now completely satisfied with the excellent network coverage.
The features of the phone are oustanding. Video/Still Camera, MP3
Player & Radio are particularly excellent. I've never before been
compelled to write a review for a phone, until now. An excellent
model and definately recommended. PS. Elle - you can't give the
phone a "Poor" rating because you bought it from a dodgy seller!
Blame the seller, not the phone. I've had no problems whatsoever
with mine. Rating:
Reviewed by Damian from UK on
9th Dec 2005
I recently obtained this phone as an upgrade,when I spoke to my
service provider I was considering a Nokia N70 or even a Nokia 6680,
but the prices for both seemed to vary by the minute! The tele operator
recommended the phone and the first thing I did was look it up on
this site and some other review sites I know of. I must say that
I am very impressed with it. I upgraded from a motorola v600 and
was looking for the best thing on the market but with a minimal
contract fee. This phone has by far exceeded my expectations,the
menu functions scroll smoothly,the contact integration is far better
than that provided by motorola. The phone seems to offer 2 different
ways to go online, 1 being the usual O2 stuff and the other being
the sony ericcson stuff. This is a great compromise. Last week I
bought an LG U880 on the 3 network and whilst I was impressed with
the instant video stuff, it only worked in 1 room in my house,and
did not revert to the standard WAP when in an out of service area.If
you're a sports fan and want instant accsess to results the "three"
approach is a disaster, it's like going from a Roll Royce to a Ford
Popular. You can either watch all the goals or you get nothing!
That said this critism is more about networks than phones. The W550i
must cater for all markets, as far as I can tell (so far) all the
grown up applications work fully ,
and yet more fun..... The younger applications work well for us
grown ups!(I am 32). The w550i gives a large enough amount of memory
for most (unless your seriously into videos) and provides the richest
sound I have ever heard from a mobile. Sony use a system called
"sound widening" which gives a stereo effect from a mono unit (such
as the handset),this provides a deep sonority to what you are hearing
which is actually of better quality than some of the radios in my
house. Speaking of radios, I recently bought a Roberts mobile DAB
digital and combined FM RDS radio for £100 and I can confirm that
the (RDS FM) radio on this phone exceeds the quality of my very
expensive personal radio.This might be down to the fact that Sony
provide exceptional headsets with the phone (in keeping with the
Walkman image) and that those headsets extensively reduce external
noise. Its also worth mentioning that gaming and photography on
this phone is exceptional as compared to anything in this price
range. Also the reception is far greater in my area than my previuos
Motorola phone. One niggle I have is with the PC software provided,which
insists that your phone is unconnected before you start (although
I managed to bypass this with bluetooth,which worked well for me).
In all this is the only phone I have ever owned that I have had
no reservations about. I generally send phones back within the first
few days as I find that we are incompatable,but in this case that
will not happen,you can easily move from any OS to Sony Ericsson
(although some might find it overly simplistic). In short this phone
does everything it says on the box and more. I defy you to find
a better phone. Rating:
Reviewed by Matt from England on
8th Dec 2005
WOW! This phone is great. I use my phone for business and I change
it all the time. I've just got fed up with my old D500 locking up
all the time and when I looked for a replacement the W550i really
caught my eye. I thought it might be a little too much 'fun' for
a business user like me but its flippin brilliant. It does everything
I want as a business user and it has a great camera and mp3 player
too. The mp3 player is fantastic, as good as an IPOD for quality
and ease of use (if a little limited on memory - but who needs more
than 80 songs?), even with the built in speakers it sounds full
and rich and can fill a small room with music. No probs with the
keypad either, texts are easy. I have had mobiles for over ten years
and recently upgrading has really boring - they're all pretty much
the same. The stores are awash with little grey and black and silver
camera phones that all offer the same features. At last a phone
I can get excited about. It's Orange! (and I don't mean the network)
It's got everything! It's got some great extras that other phones
don't, and it works !! Need a new phone ? Get a W550i. Mobile just
got fun again! Rating:
Reviewed by Elle from Scotland on
8th Dec 2005
Like another reviewer mine white screened after 2 weeks and could
only be powered off by taking battery out. Bought on the net from
a .com seller who advided I send it back to Sony Ericsson. Will
have to fight it out with them and the seller re a rental rebate.
(I feel a sore head coming on - stay clear of distance selling -
buy direct from a shop!) Rating:
Reviewed by Amnesiac from UK on
7th Dec 2005
Only got this phone two days ago but really chuffed with it. As
a Nokia girl I was a bit worried bout changing over as I also have
a K700i which not that happy with but this one is great. Totally
unique, great new gadgets on it & the transfer of files/music is
childs play. Battery is superb unlike the K7001 which I was charging
every day. Couple of gripes - keylock button on side good idea but
when phone in pocket knocks it off all the time & quite hard to
open with one hand. Apart from that all fine & dandy. Rating:
Reviewed by ian from England on
5th Dec 2005
I took this phone as a free upgrade from O2 last week on the strength
of its battery duration and Bluetooth capability. The 1.3 MP camera
and MP3 features were an added bonus. No probs with the battery,
4 solid days of playing with it and still 17% battery left. On the
Bluetooth side I feel really let down - sometimes the W550i doesn't
automatically detect my headset (Sony-Ericsson HBH-35) so I have
to go through the menus to connect it manually, even though Bluetooth
is switched on on the W550i. Most annoyingly for me, when an incoming
Bluetooth call arrives, it doesn't auto answer. Not good, especially
when you're driving. I know it's not the headset because it worked
fine with my old Motorola V525. In a call to the Sony Ericsson helpline
this afternoon I was told that 'the auto answer feature for Bluetooth
headsets was removed because they kept on picking up other Bluetooth
devices.' And apparently that's the same for all Sony Ericsson handsets,
I was told. Seems crazy to me. Very disapponting, it will have to
go back for a swap because that feature is very important to me.
Thanks for the Rant :-) Rating:
Reviewed by Martin from Northern Ireland
on 2nd Dec 2005
One word describes this phone-"Bluetoothless". I am on my second
handset as the first one would only occasionally decide to communicate
with my Bluetooth headset. Unfortunately its replacement is worse!
I love everything else about the phone and will therefore try a
third one, if offered. This is my first Sony Ericcson phone and
I fear it may be my last. Rating:
Reviewed by Ali Ahmad from Pakistan
on 30th Nov 2005
this phone is amazing if u want to buy a cell with excellent features
i will recomad this cell phone Rating:
Reviewed by Azz from England on
28th Nov 2005
**** Having had and used this phone for 4 days I am happy I spent
£300 for one, and still the only person to have this phone at my
university. Being the second phone to have the covet Walkman stamp,
it has lived up to all its hype, and being a phone playing music
is still a pleasure on this peace of craftsmanship. Though twisting
the phone from the bottom is a bit complex for one hand, they made
the phone I such a way that it’s not really that necessary
to open it to perform most tasks. The sound when making a call is
crystal clear and one of the best I have heard from a mobile, the
same to be said about the cover speakers which are extraordinarily
loud, clear and with bass. As for games, the phone is in to the
world of the ngage styling where you can use two hands to play.
Having also had my hands on a w800i which has the some functions
+ a memory card slot I would still happily go for the w550i purely
that the w550i looks and feels different from the w800i which looks
just like any other phone apart from its funky colour. If you are
a music lover and need a phone this is the one to get. If you are
a follower of fashion you would look top with this. **** Rating:
Reviewed by Pip from England on
26th Nov 2005
Super phone! Great quality games and videos. It's very easy to add
music with the new software and has lots of space to put it on.
Definatly recommended. Rating:
Reviewed by matt from uk on 26th
Nov 2005
after being a nokia user for alot of years i found myself buying
a t20e ericsson some years back now and i havent looked back, since
then ive only ever bought sony ericsson mobile phones the j70 which
was great at the time, t68i k500i,k700i and recently i found myself
with a problem all my mates were saying how great their k750i's
and w800i's were but i didnt want to be 1 of the sheep so i hit
the net (namely sony) and came across an amazing box of tricks known
as the w550i it wasnt even available on any of the networks at the
time so i had to have 1. So i contacted sony and to my amazement
they offered me a sim free 550 at a nice price and that was that
ive owned it a few months now and it truly is fantastic its become
known as the hifi with all my mates bcoz of the brilliant sound
quality 1 already as 1 on order and 2 others are getting rid of
their e500s so nice 1 sony keep pulling in new followers TO anyone
whose afraid of change trust me its for the best SONY RULE! !!!!!!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Matt from UK on 26th
Nov 2005
I had this phone for a week before it whitescreened upon switching
it on and got stuck eternally until the battery ran out with just
the white screen sitting there. I replaced the phone via o2 and
they sent me one which would not take mine or anyone else's sim
cards properly. I inserted the sim card into the phone in the conventional
way and got "Insert sim" (no please, there I noticed.) I finally
found a way of putting the sim in the phone and getting it to function
but it would always "fall out" within 10 minutes of using the phones
features. Though this annoyed me, I persisted with this phone, and
got a second replacement. Which happily whitescreened within a couple
of days of receiving it. It seems from looking at all the other
reviews of this phone that I have managed to receive the only three
versions of this phone that have problems. Needless to say if o2
allow me to have a third replacement I will suggest to them that
they do not send me this model again. Rating:
Reviewed by JimmyP from England on
22nd Nov 2005
I've had this phone for less than a week now and already want to
change it. Had big problems with the bluetooth functions and the
speed of applications. Cannot use with one hand while texting and
then you have to flip the phone round when you open it up. Only
good thing is the camera's ease of use and the sound quality. Would'nt
reccomend to anyone, but i may have been just unlucky. Rating:
Reviewed by Gaurav from India on
20th Nov 2005
I have had the phone for four days now and i must say i am totally
satisfied with it's looks and performance. the sound blew me. the
orange colour looks great. i have currently 49 mp3s, around 20 pics
and two videos(35 secs)(excluding the ones originally supplied)
and still have 45 mb space free. the swivel design is refreshing(though
it seldom comes to use, unless u r into heavy smsing). screen quality
is awesome. it is fun using cam during daytime. drawbacks: 1. i
couldnt take satisfactory pics in low nighting. it might be because
of my incapacity to configure it properly. 2. the phone has to be
turned around after opening-frustrating at times. all in all, value
for money. i love it and am proud to own it. recommended to all. Rating:
Reviewed by Sophie from England, Cramlington
on 20th Nov 2005
This phone looks good, sounds good but most of all is amazing!!
The camera is really really good. Quality pictures! The music on
it is top notch and a adaptle phone! i love it, it's unique i'm
unique. Perfect match!!! Rating:
Reviewed by bobetta Franklin from Nigeria
on 20th Nov 2005
DIS FONE IS BRILYANT. I TINK DAT DIS IS D BEST FONE EVER MADE! THE
CAMERA IS BRILLYANT AND THE MUUSIK IS GRATE! IF YOU R LOOKIN FOR
A TOP OF THE RANGE FONE THEN THIS IS THE ONE THAT I RECOMEND U TOOO
GET! BRILLYANT! Rating:
Reviewed by Paula from UK on
18th Nov 2005
I've had the phone for about 3 days now and on the whole it seems
pretty good. I've only got little hands but have real trouble texting.
The buttons are pretty small and the top row (1, 2, 3) seem too
close to the top part of the phone so my thumb can't get a proper
footing so to speak ;-) Rating:
Reviewed by James from Philippines on
15th Nov 2005
I just bought this phone yesterday. Initially, I hadn't been sure
I liked the physical appearance. However, once the phone's lit,
everything about it just seems cool. The walkman feature is outstanding,
while the other features are also excellent. I love the THEMES and
the games of this phone! I'm glad I picked it over SE K600. Rating:
Reviewed by Michael from Uk on
15th Nov 2005
Got this phone on an upgrade and its pretty good. walkman bit is
top and headphones also provide great quality music. only 2 things
i dont like about this phone is the lack of expandable memory and
i find the way the camera opens fairly annoying. interesting to
begin with but impossible 2 do with one hand! can become quite arkward
as u have 2 turn the whole phone upside down! all in all a good
phone but thinking of gettin the k750i instead Rating:
Reviewed by P close from Ireland on
13th Nov 2005
The W550i looks impressive, has a long list of features and works
well on all these. I feel its a bit large and heavy to fit comfotably
in my pocket. When you attach the headphones, it increases it size
by a further half an inch. The headphones supplied are of good quality.
The pause button takes a long press before it does anything. The
new keylock button on the side is quite a handy feature. Not a bad
phone, I would be lying if I called it outstanding or even excellent
but it is a fairly capable phone hence the 3 stars. Rating:
Reviewed by Danger Bus from Preston,
UK on 10th Nov 2005
Only had this a couple of days after upgrading, but it's superb
so far. Haven't used all the functions as yet, but this is a superb
product from SE. After always being a Nokia user, I fancied a change
to Sony after friends recommended Samsungs and Sonys, and I'm delighted
with their advice. I like the option of changing the phone cover,
and particularly the twist mechanism to opening and closing the
keypad. Rating:
Reviewed by amy from UK on 10th
Nov 2005
ive had this phone for a couple of days. i think the camera is fab,the
walkman is really good and there is a lot of memory. the only thing
that is disapointing is that the bluetooth can be really tempermental!
the phone tends to freeze when sending and recieving files via bluetooth.
not too keen on the colour but i suppose it makes the phone unique! Rating:
Reviewed by Kat from England on
10th Nov 2005
I cannot understand some people's gripes about this phone. For a
start - who needs an expandable memory when you already have 256mb
of phone memory. This allows for hundreds of photos and video footage.
I've upgraded from the S700i, which is an excellent phone, and even
with it's expanded memory I barely used it to the combined memory
maximum of 64mb. This W550i looks fantastic - it is the S700i presented
in a smaller package and then some! I love the orange fascia and
for those who gripe about that, there are exchangable covers. The
sound quality of this phone is the best I've ever heard, the game
graphics are excellent and navigation couldn't be easier. Add on
top of all that an MP3 player and the coveted Walkman logo and I
think I have a phone that will stay with me for a long time. Rating:
Reviewed by johanna from UK on
9th Nov 2005
i got this a week ago and i absolutely love it. i love its orignality,
its easy use, and if orange isn't your colour it comes with a change
in covers too, although to be honest i quite like the bright orange!
aesthetically it very pleasing to the eye and a little unusual to
most phones, which i think is great. Apart from all the that, the
sound quality is great, the memory is good for what i want it for
-some pics and a some good tunes! i would definitely recommend this
phone - it's yet another great phone from sony ericsson. Rating:
Reviewed by S from UK on 9th
Nov 2005
Just got phone on O2 200 + 100 txt. Great build quality & desing
actually smaller than my K750i when closed & screen looks slightly
bigger. New style themes look great but carn't find any yet to download
:/ Camera good but few niggles with zoom & stuff but overall excellent
so how come it is so cheep (about £100 UK difference) compaired
to the W800 ??????????????? Rating:
Reviewed by kalam from uk on
8th Nov 2005
the best phone u could ever get it has got every thing u could not
go wrong with it and it is a normal size it's an everyday phone
exelant Rating:
Reviewed by robert from uk on
8th Nov 2005
this phone is the same as s700 but with a walkman and many other
little bits it works perfectly Rating:
Reviewed by Dan from England on
7th Nov 2005
Excellent phone. Has everything you want and all top quality. The
only thing is the blue tooth sometimes doesn`t work and when I try
to turn it on or off the phone crashes. Rating:
Reviewed by PAUL from IRELAND on
6th Nov 2005
MY ONLY GRIPE WITH THIS PHONE IS ITS LACK OF A MEMORY STICK PORT.
OTHERWISE ITS VISUALLY STUNNING AND HAS EXCELLENT SOUND QUALITY
FROM ITS TWO MAIN SPEAKERS. THE FACT THAT IT ALLOWS YOU TO MOVE
FILES ABOUT THE PHONE IS A BIG PLUS AND ALSO THE QUALITY OF GRAPHICS
IN ITS EMBEDDED GAMES IS EXCELLENT Rating:
Reviewed by adryano from indonesia on
6th Nov 2005
this is the best hp i ever had Rating:
Reviewed by tommy from engaland on
5th Nov 2005
this phone is generally good phone but its a s700i with a button
and no expandable memory if u want a phone just as good (mayb even
betta)get a s700i or a orange spv c550 they r both cheaper and betta
i hope u find thsd info valuble :-) Rating:
Reviewed by unknow from UK on
3rd Nov 2005
Greate phone!, Greate design! Rating:
Reviewed by Rob Pell from UK on
1st Nov 2005
I had this phone for 3 days then it broke! My friend had one about
10 days, then it broke! They r rubbish! the features r excellent,
but if u want a fone that works for more than a few days then buy
something else! Rating:
Reviewed by Jake from England on
1st Nov 2005
this phone is really good the camera is great and the walkman feature
is mint Rating:
Reviewed by kunal from INDIA on
29th Oct 2005
the price is donw now the only prob is no external slot for momory.
the resolution is good Rating:
Reviewed by Sally from Uk on
27th Oct 2005
This Phone Is The Best You Can Get On The Market Today. It Beats
Most Phones And The Camera And Video Is Awesome. This Is A Great
Phone If You Are A Music Person And Has Loads Of Other Gadgets To.
Defentinly Beat All Other Phones! Rating:
Reviewed by Tejas Raja from India on
25th Oct 2005
i had just purchased the phone its nice, better than the nokia 3230...the
sound clarity is good, the games inbuilt is good, the only problem
it the cover, the orange colour is not that good.. and should have
given a memory slot. that would have a better option... Rating:
Reviewed by MOLAD from NIGERIA on
21st Oct 2005
THE PHONE IS QUITE OK FOR A BEGINNER.IF YOU ARE JUST PLANNING TO
BUY A PHONE YOU CAN START WITH THESE.BUT FOR PROFFESSIONALS LIKE
ME,I'LL RATHER GO 4 A BETTER PHONE. Rating:
Reviewed by Muhammad Fahim from Pakistan
on 17th Oct 2005
Only the memory is good Rating:
Reviewed by anood from uae on
16th Oct 2005
the w550i is good but there is one prob..! it dose not fit alot
of things and does not download game to w550i but i think its gourgous
from the inside but dose not have great description Rating:
Reviewed by van nido from india on
15th Oct 2005
the first phone with an internal memory of 256 MB.looks good.its
also already in stores now.its d second mobile in sony ericksons
walkman series.its got a 1.3 mpx camera,256k colours......d only
dissapointment is dat its resolution as well as screen size has
been decreased from the similar looking s700i.another setback of
dis phone is its inavability of a memory card slot.but still it
deserves a 4 starr.i still wish that sony ericsson upgrades its
s700i to a 3 megapixel camera phone with a 3g capability with capability
of taking memory card upto 2 gb.then nokia wont even have a chance
in d next 1 year to come close 2 sony erickson.not even with its
e series that will b releasing in d first quater of next year. Rating:
As
you'd expect from a phone carrying the Walkman logo, there's a digital
music player and a built-in FM radio. Putting music onto the W550i
is easy, as CD-ripping PC software is supplied with the phone. Using
the Bluetooth connection you can drag and drop MP3 tracks from your
PC to the phone. Flight mode lets you use the music player whilst
on an aircraft.
