Review: Sony Ericsson W850i

Sony Ericsson W850i Review

Phone rating:

In a nutshell: A slide-design Walkman phone, the W850i features Sony's award-winning Walkman music player with enough memory for around 1000 songs, a built-in FM radio, 3G video calling and a 2 megapixel camera. The W850i's camera is not as good as the W810i, but it has the benefits of being 3G and having a sexy slide design!
Best buy: £139.95 on Pay as you Go from the Carphone Warehouse.

The Sony Ericsson W850i is a Walkman-branded phone in a slide design. Sony Ericsson are new to sliders, but they have produced a very nice design that slides nicely, has a nice keypad, a 5-way scroll key that's much easier to use than the joystick design of the K800i, and makes excellent use of the slide format to include a large screen. It's available in a choice of black or white. The white version has a real 24 carat gold Walkman logo for added bling! The keypad features a funky lighting effect that pulses to the beat of the music. On the outside, it's a beautiful phone.

Inside it's great too! This is a Walkman-branded phone, so we'll review the music features first. The Walkman series of phones have established a first-class reputation for music, and the W850i fully lives up to expectations. You can enjoy stereo sound from the music player or the FM radio with excellent audio quality and user-friendliness. The Mega Bass™ feature enhances bass frequencies and a good stereo headset is supplied in the sales package. There's plenty of room for storing music with a 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo supplied as standard - this is enough for around 250 tracks.

Managing music is very easy with the CD of PC software supplied. The W850i supports USB mass storage, which means that files can be easily and quickly transferred with a drag and drop operation (USB cable supplied). You can also download music directly to your phone with the Walkman software, and the 3G connection makes this very fast. The W850i also introduces a novel feature called TrackID™. If you hear a song on the radio that you don't know, you can use TrackID to find the name, artist and album for you - impressive!

The W850i is also a camera phone of course, and is equipped with a good quality 2 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom and flash. There's also a video camera that you can use to record or to make 3G video calls. The W850i's camera isn't in the same league as the Sony Ericsson K800i however, as there's no autofocus. The quality of the TFT display is very high - it's large (2 inches across) and as good as any of its competitors.

This has got to be one of the best Walkman phones released so far, and that's saying a lot! The reason it doesn't quite get a 5 star rating is that it doesn't have autofocus (included in the Sony Ericsson W810i) and the keypad can be a little fiddly.

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Features of the Sony Ericsson W850i include:

• 3G video calling
• 2 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom and flash
• Video camera with photo light
• VideoDJ™ software for video editing
• Display: TFT, 262,144-colours, 240 x 320 pixels (2.0 inches)
• Music player
• FM radio
• Mega Bass™ for enhanced bass frequencies
• MP3 / AAC ringtones (64-voice polyphonic ringtones)
• Melody composer / MusicDJ™
• Speakerphone
• Lighting effects
• Sound recorder
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, email
• Wallpaper and animations
• 3D Java games
• Personal organiser functions
• File manager
• Flight mode
• WAP, GPRS, Web browser
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, Fast Port, Infrared, USB mass storage
• Memory: 16 Mbytes plus Memory Stick PRO Duo™ support
• Vibration alert
• Triband plus 3G (UMTS)
• Size: 98 x 47 x 21 mm
• Weight: 116g

Sony Ericsson W850i Consumer Reviews

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Average rating from 100 reviews:

You can read more Sony Ericsson W850i reviews at RecommendedBuys UK.

Reviewed by sal from uk on 28th Nov 2006
wot a great fone, had it for a month and still can't get used to how good it is... Twig wanted to know what the red icon at the top of the screen was...it's the symbol for the 3G network, when on it tells u that u r in a 3G area and can use services like mobile tv etc. Highly reccommend this fone...
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Reviewed by niz from england on 28th Nov 2006
its excellent the style and everything but they could of improved it but it is a brilliant phone for music and media it good with calling as well.
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Reviewed by mitko from UK on 28th Nov 2006
absolute rubbish. it only saves your last missed/dialed/received number, i can't sync with outlook using the usb cable, the menu is... the most non intuitive i have ever seen, everytime i take it off file transfer mode it actually restarts the entire phone and sometimes it asks for pin sometimes not!!! it is going straight back to o2 and getting a nokia... any nokia will do... why can't these guys just get a nokia phone, look at the menu and get some ideas!!! i will never ever get a phone other than a nokia the only good thing about this phone is the music player and that's about it...
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Reviewed by costa from australia on 28th Nov 2006
top fone had it for 2 weeks go and get one well done sonyericsson !!!
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Reviewed by Pearl from India on 27th Nov 2006
Awesone phone....good looks....good feature's.....got for it rite now....coz I'm Loving it
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Reviewed by KIM from ENGLAND on 26th Nov 2006
Got his phone 3 days ago with 3g connected to the LIVE! Package offered by vodafone for live tv. I am absoloutly stunned what a phone! It does so much and still manages to be light and look good especially in black. Easy to follow menus quality sound thru the excellent supplied stereo headphones and an excellent 2mg easy to use camera. SE have got this one sorted. If you are looking for a slide phone with more gadgets than James Bond look no further, well impressed.
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Reviewed by Rosco from Edinburgh on 26th Nov 2006
I have has this phone for about 2 months now as a replacement for my D900. This phone is so much fun!! It does everything and has 2 megapixel camera and comes with 1 gig memory card for storing music. Its also got this amazing feature called track id which basically means that if your are listening to the radio and hear a song you like it will search for it and tell you what song it is and where to download via internet on your phone.(it does sometimes take 2 or 3 tries as uses the words from the song to search) Make your ipod extinct and get one of these phones!!
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Reviewed by Pearl from India on 25th Nov 2006
Good Looks....Awesome.....colour....itsssssssssssssss toooooooooooooo good.............Im loving it.....
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Reviewed by Katie from England on 25th Nov 2006
I've always preffered S.E since the T610, had a few since then but this handset has too be my fave out the lot! I love everything about this phone. I always go for a gadget more than a 'functional item' and this has lots 2 keep you entertained. The facewarp had me in stitches 4 ages and I was amazed at how accurate the TrackID is. I can't honestly find 1 thing i dislike about the handset, although people who've had a play have said its slightly heavy but personally I think this is a minor factor on this all round perfect phone =o)
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Reviewed by Don from India on 23rd Nov 2006
5 Reasons Why One Should Buy This Phone 1.Good Camera 2.Excellent Sound Quality 3.Very Good Looking And Easy To use 4.Has a Very Good Battery And Last But Not The Least 5.Its A Sony Erricson Make
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Reviewed by dan from uk on 23rd Nov 2006
having owned all top end SE and nokia phones, including se's k750, w810, w900, k800, this phone is a superb all rounder. To focus on the only negative (camera). Like it or not we have come to expect cameras on phones and to be honest, the quality is not as far away from other se's as people realise. Yes the lack of auto focus means that some images lack sharpness, but the video recording is about on par with the k800i, so about 15 frames per second, (i have done direct comparisons with both phones in my hand) The image quality is exactly the same as w810, k750, and w900, i think the fact that the displays are brighter on the aforementioned phones, and the autofocus,adds to the illusion that like for like its not as good, but transfer images full screen to your pc, and they look pretty identical. The walkman facility is better than any other phone, and the slide mechanism is fantastic, i particularly like the stainless steel look from the back of the screen casing, when slid open. The screen is exactly the same as the k800i with better clarity and sharpness than its predecessors, (again i have done in hand comparissons), but unfortunatly the display is not as brightly lit as previuos SE's (which you dont notice anyway, once you've used the phone fora couple of weeks). i read a review saying that its not possible to fast forward movies or other clips, this is not true, as i have several full length movies, and the fast forward or rewind facility is excellent, much better than w810 or w900, which fast forward at snails pace!!, you can also slow mo clips, move them frame by frame, and even zoom in on a clip whilst playing. So other than the slightly dimmer backlight, and lack of auto focus, this phone is the best all rounder SE have released so far!!
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Reviewed by Robney Mcplum from England on 21st Nov 2006
Have just upgraded from a w900i and am very dissapointed. The new smaller direction buttons are harder to press, the keypad is so hard to text on and the camera is poor. The video quality is dire, Its as bad as my 3 year old LG8120 so there is a clue as to how bad it is. The plastics are cheap and nasty and it doesnt feel as solid as the w900. Good points? Track ID is cool, screen is better quality than W900 but video playback is so bad it seemed pointless upgrading the screen and it is smaller, Battery life seems excellent and sound quality is, as you would expect, amazing. Personally I am keeping my W900 and putting the memory card from this into that one and selling the W850. I would recomend buying the nokia 6280 or samsung d600, have had both of these and they piss on this one. The w900 beats them all though, but I think that is discontinued now. O well.
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Reviewed by John from UK on 21st Nov 2006
this phone is the upgraed of the w810i is a outstanding phone goog for music but i say its not as good as the k800i. the k800i is the best sony ericsson out
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Reviewed by emma from newport,south wales on 21st Nov 2006
Here I go again.I've wrote sooo many reviews for this site as I am always changing my phone and like to share my reviews and opinions with other people.As I've said in other reviews I used to be a samsung loyalist,that is until I had the d900 and found it really annoying.I have had quite a few SE's and have always loved their looks,style and user friendly software,also there is so many ways to customise your phone with loadsa themes and tunes to choose from.So since having the k800i I have moved over to the SE camp and will always be a tenant.They are fab.I love this phone because of the slider design which is my favourite type and have always wondered when SE will release one,and they have excelled.The slider is smooth and sturdy and I'm sure it will stay that way and last for a long time.Then there is the great all roundness that this phone offers such as an excellent walkman feature with track ID(how cool is that)and rich basey sound.Then there is an excellent camera which in my opinion is more than good enough to take on a nights out and then to be printed,which believe me turn out pretty decent,so in my opinion people who complain about the quality of the camera should realise that they bought this phone to use as a phone,if you want a camera go buy a camera.There is loads of themes out there,wallpapers and tunes to choose from to customise your SE so you will never get bored.The overall size of the phone,I think is perfect.Fits nice into your hand.I have a black one as I feel the white would surely go really tatty after a while and also looks cheap and plasticky.Sound quality excellent with a good loudspeaker.So go out and get this phone,I would get another one if I could afford it just as backup incase anything ever happened to it as I would be gutted. Buy it,buy it,buy it,buy it,buy it
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Reviewed by Morris from on 20th Nov 2006
Dnt know wot u r all on about, this fone is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Have had it 2weeks, use it constantly, no problems, memory awesome, easy to use, good standby time, brilliant mp3/speakers!!!!!! Definately recommend it!!!!
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Reviewed by pannlim from Unknown on 20th Nov 2006
Lovely to look at. User-friendly. Excellent functions. Fun to explore.
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Reviewed by Tomaso Q from UK on 19th Nov 2006
The boys at SE have outdone themselves again! This is a fantastic phone. The phone and phone book are as good as any others out there, the Walkman player is awesome, great sound and visuals and you really can get 1000 tracks on the 1GB card if you copy to the phone at 32 Kbps with the Disc2Phone software. The camera is very good and let's not forget it has a radio as well. I can't find any faults with it.
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Reviewed by thomas from on 18th Nov 2006
I love the specs of this phone but my friend has it and it's soooooo ugly. A bit bulky aswell. It doesn't feel nice in the hand and not very easy to control. I decided to get N73 but i still use my W810 every now and then.
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Reviewed by SATNAM from INDIA on 17th Nov 2006
SATNAM FROM VASHI (NEW BOMBAY)OUTSTANDING PHONE BRILLIANT FOR THE MUSICCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC FANS BUT THE LOOK IS NOT SO GOOD,VERY VERY EXPENSIVE PHONE ,WAIT FOR FEW MONTH FOR PRICE TO FALL,CAMERA IS OK,MEMORY IS GOOD CAN STORE AROUND 200 SONG ITS NOT A MUSIC ITS A ROCKING IPOD SYSTEM..........
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Reviewed by Stojio from Scotland on 17th Nov 2006
This phone is absolutely excellent. It should be very difficult to use but it's in fact very easy! I am a real phone lover (or hater) and I know what's good or bad. This would be about my 20th phone and my second from SE. I previously had the K750i and swore i'd never go back to samsung, nokia or motorola. This phone blows the k750i out of the water. It is sturdy, mega fun, really cool, gets a lot of attention, the screen is amazing and until a week ago my computer was broken so i could never put mp3's on it - i now have over a hundred full size, perfect quality mp3's (and an IMMENSE amount of memory left over!!!) on it and it has, in my estimation, gone up to SIX STARS! I have dropped it a few times while out drinking, on concrete and hard floors and it is undamaged. I have also got it wet in the pouring rain and it is fine. I also use the high speed internet connection to go onto the russian wapsites and download free games (my girlfriend is happy to translate them for me, lucky me!!) and i have 35 top quality games on the phone too. it is god-like in every way, i will worship this one until my upgrade is due. the one problem people seem to see is the camera (i am an amateur photographer and have a high quality digital camera so the lack of autofocus on this phone has never bothered me - the photos u can take with it are totally acceptable in my opinion). also, it doesnt hang up when u close the slider. this is so u can close it and talk on a more compact fone, along with the fact if u accidentally close it down during a song or game or while writing a text, it will not cancel out these things. How can this be a fault? it's not that hard to hang up by using a button is it? In short, upgrading to this from my (i thought untouchable) k750i was THE BEST DECISION I EVER MADE concerning a gadget! I recommend it to anyone whith a bit of style who likes to party hard and is maybe a little prone to dropping their phone while drunk.
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Reviewed by Rishi from UK on 17th Nov 2006
I received this phone earlier this week and I think it is a brilliant phone. Its got all the features that I was looking for in a phone- walkman, camera, FM radio, slider etc. The phone looks great and delivers what its supposed to.I think its one of the best phones out, even better than the W950i which doesn't have a camera. If you can get a bluetooth stereo earpiece for £70 it would greatly enhance the way you can listen to music without the cords getting in the way. I would say no downside to this phone. I only wish the phone switched off when you shut the slider. But you can't have everything hey!
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Reviewed by cOnZ from Singapore on 16th Nov 2006
got it for abt a wk. great phone! nice design! love the many features it offers. fabulous sound quality and capable of taking decent photos, with many interesting picture effects. however i have 2 probs: 1.sometimes picture looks bluish under the same lighting conditions 2.the TrackID feature doesnt seem to work at all.
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Reviewed by twig from uk on 16th Nov 2006
tis a mint fone... awsome music gr8 4 txting awsome features adverage camera but i hav a red phone icon at the top of the screen nyone know wat it is?
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Reviewed by hooters from uk on 15th Nov 2006
I think this phone is brilliant!! Ok, the camera could be better (the whole focus thing) but other than that it's great! Try out the 'facewarp' application it's hilarious, you'll find it in: ORGANISER - APPLICATIONS. You will not be disappointed with this phone!
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Reviewed by Jay from England on 14th Nov 2006
I like this phone, and here's why: 1. Its much better looking than any other phone out 2. The Music Player has been upgraded to make it even better, but one problem with that, is it says Album Artwork, but I can find this anywhere. 3. The phones got a good response speed 4. Good for texting on, buttons are spaced well, but when playing games they seem to be too small lol Another thing is that when I shut the slider, the call doesn't end like it's supposed to, but I guess they'll address this in later Firmware Updates. Overall, this phone is very good, a bit expensive if you're buying it though, but otherwise very good.
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Reviewed by ben rodgers from england on 14th Nov 2006
ive just recieved my third phone because the speaker in the earpiece after a couple of days sounded like it had purferated hope this one is better because otherwise i think this is a great phone
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Reviewed by Adrian from UK on 13th Nov 2006
The phone itself is ok BUT the layout is awful. If you have big thumbs like me texting will be a nightmare with the predictive text word changing being done on the top level of keys. My thumbs also kept hitting the bottom of the top part when pressing the first row of keys (1-3). Music wise it is a great player with sound that is better than my mates ipod (with stock ear buds though). The camera is naff though, it really needs out focus. I am now going to go with a k800 or the D900 if I am feeling brave with changing menu systems :S
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Reviewed by callum from uk on 12th Nov 2006
Doesnt look properly music function is medoica and buttons to small overall disapointed
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Reviewed by will from uk on 11th Nov 2006
Got phone a few days ago and so far everything's up to scratch. To be fair, if you've already owned a top-end handset before, theres nothing here that will grab you. It can be described as a "youth" phone but i got bored within an hour of playing around with it. All the games are trials and there are not enough preset applications. I suppose it is mainly a walkman phone. Texting is really slow to input if you dont use predictive, and the stiff nav buttons also need gettin used to. Battery life and camera is adequate and the build quality isnt as quality as others, despite the weight. Thought the white version would look cheap and nasty but its actually really sexy (& you can peel off that annoying vodafone sticker). I still think nokias rule because if you change from nokia there is always some little things that you will miss. Having said that, at the moment nokias are slow,ugly & unreliable. The exact opposite to the w850i. (the bad reviews on samsung d900 & n73 are spot on). i think the reason why u cant slide down the phone to end a call is because of handsfree. If you use a headset you dont want to keep the phone "open" the whole time after dialling a number. Overall, compared to top samsungs and nokias there are a few bells & whistles missing but looks, responsiveness & reliability should matter most. Praying it lasts 18mnths though!
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Reviewed by cobie from australia on 11th Nov 2006
i got this phone yesterday and 90% of the photos i take are blurry.. it is VERY hard to take a decnt photo. the rest of the phot os nice, the direction thing is reallt hard to press. the walkman is good..just so useless at taking photos. alos the screen goes black and white stripes when i open and close the slider. i'm taking it back today to get a different phone!
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Reviewed by Jon from UK on 8th Nov 2006
Got this phone after having already owned a w810i. And despite it being released later, it is vastly inferior in both terms of design and quality. The screen was worse, buttons worse, materials worse & looks are terrible. It may be to some peoples taste but not mine. Sent it back after lass than a day. All i say is go into a shop and try one out before you order one as its not all it cracks up to be.
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Reviewed by dominic from blythe on 7th Nov 2006
mint phone all i need to say really
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Reviewed by christien from england on 7th Nov 2006
wel this phone is special, the sound that comes from the head phones is very special. better then anything ive heard before. but this phone if you love your music and if you own an apple pc. because you can plug it straight in you dont need 1 of the discs or anything. and you basically just drag the required songs across.
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Reviewed by Carnage from N.Ireland on 6th Nov 2006
Waited 2 weeks on this phone and thank god its here. Love this phone its a step above the rest. Good memory size, Walkman is an amazing feature, Video playback is amzing to. really like this phone. My only concern is i cant get my games fom my old phone onto it. Still 5 stars tho the sound quality is top notch
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Reviewed by trevor from england on 3rd Nov 2006
must say i feel a bit let down with this phone had such high hopes after having the brilliant w800i *****. I think SE have gone a couple of steps back with this phone. The menu isn't as easy to use as the w800i, when listening to music with the keys locked in your pocket you have to unlock it, go into the walkman menu the stop the music. with the w800i you just pushed the play/stop button on the side with no need to unlock the phone. The phone is slow to respond and why does the slide function answer a call but doesn't end a call? (if i'm doing something wrong someone please tell me). The camera is nowhere near as good as the w800i either, a real shame i wanted to love this phone
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Reviewed by Remy from England on 3rd Nov 2006
I LOVE DIS FONE!!!!! TRUST ME DIS FONE HAD ME HAV SLEEPLESS NIGHT AND NOW IVE GOT IT I LOVE IT
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Reviewed by Siddhesh from India on 3rd Nov 2006
This is one of the best phones i have had.It has amazing features.The sound quality is great. The camera is decent, find it better than Nokia cameras. The phone is sleek with an awesome design. Great work from Ericsson.
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Reviewed by Kathleen from England on 2nd Nov 2006
Just got the phone its brill very pleased with it no problems yet. Couple things wrong well more annoying the volume dont stay the same it keeps going down i have 2 keep turning it up anyone know how 2 get round it? And the sliding bit u can answer the phone by sliding it up but you cant hang up by sliding it down, whats up with that.
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Reviewed by Meurig from Wales on 2nd Nov 2006
I was wondering which phone to get, either the k800i or w850i, one is the best camera phone on the market and one is the best music phone. In the end I opted for the w850i cos as a musician Id rather listen to music all the time than take pictures. The amount of songs it holds is great but dont be fooled, when they say that the 1gb memory holds 1000 songs its not true. 1gb holds 250 songs and 4gb holds 1000 songs, the cost of a 4gb card is around £100 which is expensive considering the cost of the phone. I own the white version because I believed it looked better. But I have one complaint, the cover buttons (play, rewind etc)have cracked on my phone TWICE due to texting normally!!! I found out that the plastic of the black version is actually not just injected with a dye but its a stronger plastic. I had the option of exchangin for a black version but i kept the white cos it looks amazing. The output volume of this phone through the headphones isnt loud enough but it can be e nhanced with a programme called MP3 GAIN. I really do love this phone and I have it on pay as u go, lucky me! but Im afraid to crack the button again! if u want the best camera phone go for the k800i but dont be fooled, use this camera in the day and its quality is amazing! Im giving it 5 stars even though the button cracks because itis such a great phone, if ur so bothered about the crack get the black one, it WONT crack.
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Reviewed by alowen from England on 1st Nov 2006
Neat package with phone, great memory card and half decent camera. My first model came with a loose topslide but 3 returned me a brand new one. Overall a great phone, both cosmetically and functionaly.
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Reviewed by Jolene from Caerphilly on 31st Oct 2006
This phone is very very good. I can't put it down and had it 2 weeks. The only bad point is its not saving my missed calls or dialled numbers so I don't know who's called and I have no hiastory in my call list. I cant find any thing to help me out on this either. But all round a very nice userfriendly phone.
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Reviewed by Michael from UK on 31st Oct 2006
It was a toss up between this one and the K800i. Some great features on this phone that will keep you amused for hours. Just a few issues I'm experiencing at the moment: battery power a little on the poor side, just the odd phone call and I'm having to charge it after 2 days (I'm sure the K750 lasted longer), as someone else pointed out the screen flickers when closing, just had a problem before writing this review with not being able to dial a number, the display simply brought up the screensaver, had to switch off & on. Also the other day I tried to blog a photo and the phone actually turned itself off, this happened twice, third time lucky. The phone looks and feels great but I’m actually considering sending it back and swapping for either a K800i or the 710i.
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Reviewed by lora4449 from england on 31st Oct 2006
ive had this fone 2 days now and having just read the reviews that have been left i thought i would make a contribution! i really like the fone, the memory is great and the screen quality is good to!!! i am slightly disappointed about the camera but then i bought a fone not a digital camera!!! however i love it!!!!! having never had and SE fone i will certainly be looking at them again!!!
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Reviewed by Jenna from UK on 31st Oct 2006
just got this phone on contract and its brilliant. i love it..it seems to have all that i need. Although can someone tell me if you can have a photo appear when someone is calling you. and also can u put photographs from your computer onto your phone..if so how du u du both of these. thanks, x
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Reviewed by Mec113 from England on 30th Oct 2006
Ok! this phone is amazing. I originally got the Samsung D900 but sent it back as it was more of a 'buisness' phone than a 'fun' phone. So i changed to this phone and it is amazing, loads of great features to use when your bored. The battery life is really good, and it feels much better than the D900. I love this phone.
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Reviewed by Ronnie from Scotland on 29th Oct 2006
Had the phone a week and can't put it down. Great features and build quality. Battery is good, music is ace. Don't use the software just drag and drop to load music or pictures. Build quality is great I dropped it onto a tiled floor(not on purpose!!) and expected it to smash into pieces but there wasn't a mark. I used to prefer flip phones but this has changed my mind. You won't be disappointed
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Reviewed by maki from england on 29th Oct 2006
this fone is awful. jus got it on contract 2 days ago i hav a 1gb memory card but once i put 100 songs on it it stopped lettin me put naymore on wen i still hav 700mb memory left. the fone is also too plastic the battery cover is allready loose. the pc software is very slow even my motorola v3 software was quicker. do not buy this fone get a nokia 6280 or a samsung d900.
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Reviewed by Mezza 75 from Uk on 28th Oct 2006
Love the phone - All the positives listed by others apply. One small query though - My screen flickers when i return the slider to the standby position. Is this normal?
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Reviewed by jhon from england on 27th Oct 2006
nice phone excellent speakers only let down is the camera but the keypad you can get used to i lyk the fact you can have a 4gb memery card as well and yes its better than the w810 and w800
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Reviewed by tb from UK on 26th Oct 2006
I have had the w850i for 3 weeks now, having changed from the Samsung D500 slider. Overall the phone is ok but has some key weaknesses. The software to my pc running xp frequently detects the phone but then says it is not connected. A feature I liked on the d500 was that when I closed the slider the call was terminated. This does not happen on the w850i so I am paying for a call that is still going on in my pocket ! Also even with key lock enabled the buttons on the top connect to the internet, costing me more. I wrote to sony and they say the button cannot be switched off. Operationally the d500 was better.Music is good, camera ok (not great). My advice...wait for samsung to release a 3g slider with more memory.
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Reviewed by J from ENGLAND on 26th Oct 2006
GOT THIS FONE YESTERDAY HAVE WAITED FOR IT FOR MUNTHS SO GLAD IVE FINALLY GO IT LIVES UP TO ITS EXPECTATIONS SOUND QUALITY IS EXCELLENT THE SCREEN IS EXCELLENT THE CAMERA IS A BIT OF A LET DOWN BUT IS STIL GOOD ANUVER GREAT FONE FROM SE
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Reviewed by Lou from UK on 25th Oct 2006
You don't need the software!! I've put a load of my music on and didn't use any of the software. Plug the phone into your PC using the USB and open up the drive on your PC in Windows Explorer -then just drag and drop your mp3 files / picture files onto the phones memory card.. easy!
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Reviewed by Lardoholic from UK on 25th Oct 2006
Very good generally. Best points are the enormous MemoryStick Pro memory - perfect if you have a Sony digital camera as the memory is compatible with it. I have ordered a 4gb card so that I will no longer need a separate music players. It plugs directly into my car stereo's Aux. On the minus side, the connectors are a little flimsy - I am not sure what they will be like in a year. The software for transferring music to phone is extremely slow. I was hoping that I could transfer directly to the memory card, but while the music files go on, I cannot play it using the phone without using the software. Maybe I will find a way around this, and the the final star would be justified.
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Reviewed by Goose from UK on 25th Oct 2006
Just got this last night upgraded from Nokia N70. Pro's - Looks nice, very easy to use, software for moving music very easy to use, the camera is ok but not as good as N70, the screen looks very good, the walkman is amazing very good sound quality compared with phones with just an mp3 player built in. Con's - Feels a bit to plastic, but quite heavy at the same time! The top keypad it is a little stiff to use (brand new though) All in all my fav phone so far and i have a new one every 10 months or so!!
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Reviewed by dan from uniited dujgho on 25th Oct 2006
it is well good everey one shuld get it but the bad thing is it is not on pay as you go
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Reviewed by PoK from united kingdom on 25th Oct 2006
i had this phone for a week now & im quite happy with it. BUT bad points has also began to emerge: 1. itz not as responsive as others, it needs to load alot... 2. itz not the most light weighted phone in the market 3. itz battery life isnt as good as previous SE phones BUT saying all the bad stuff it is a fun phone, i can only see 3 bad things at the moment. haha
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Reviewed by Dazz from UK on 23rd Oct 2006
It's a great phone, gone from the Nokia 6280 to this but one thing i hate about this phone is video is sluggish and quility is poor for a 2Mbit camara, the Nokia was far far better. Battry indicater seems to be all over the place too doesn't give much warning if you are getting low as one minuite it will be 87% then 15% then 86%. Apart from them it's an excellent phone media manage is excellent too. Excellent standard headphone too really comfortable. PRO memory card slot is excellent how many phones this size can hold 4GB? i'll give it a 4 it's good but not perfect even through i have waited to get this phone for close to a year.
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Reviewed by Vic from Australia on 23rd Oct 2006
From what I've heard, this phone has both its good and bad points and from what I can see, I kinda like the styling and new walkman software looks impressive. This isn't a review as such but I wanted to say that people should take into account some of the people reviewing these phones are upgrading from relatively old phones and from a different class and to them, this phone might be the bees knees, but to someone upgrading from a similar phone, it may not be as impressive. Having said that, and I know this may seem a bit hypocritical, but i don't think people who've not actually owned the phone and used it, should be reviewing it...
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Reviewed by steve from uk on 22nd Oct 2006
this review is very biased i don't even own this phone and it does not say any downsides to it, the review said" if there are any downsides i can't find any" or smething to that effect, the camera does not have autofocus [Editor's reply: Steve, I don't really know what point you're trying to make. The camera doesn't have autofocus, that's true. Also, it's not a SmartPhone, doesn't have a 3 megapixel camera, isn't superslim, and is quite expensive. These are not downsides, but differences. It's still an outstanding phone.]
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Reviewed by ebb from uk on 22nd Oct 2006
Great phone and multi media player. Got this last week as I decided it was the best compromise between camera phone and walkman phone. I have already converted and loaded films onto the phone and the quality is great, especially if you watch them in landscape mode. The only downside with this is that you can't fast forward the films and it uses the battery. Other than that the phone is superb.
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Reviewed by zako999 from - on 22nd Oct 2006
all my mates are saying its a girls phone but i think if you have got a job that involvs travelling the walkman is ideal
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Reviewed by Rishi from uk on 22nd Oct 2006
This phone is amazing ive had it a day and i love it, it has amazing qualities, the camera is wikid, walkman is great.This phone has nothing bad about it.If ur buying a new phone and want a cool one ur friend would like get this phone.
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Reviewed by dillan from england on 21st Oct 2006
i got this phone for my birthday and it is buzzing i thing it is the best phone ever and u cant make a phone better. all of its uses is outstanding, this is a phone in the start and the end of time.
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Reviewed by Colm from Ireland on 21st Oct 2006
Got the phone two weeks ago now and i am now waiting on my third replacement. First one had to be sent back as the slider got stuck at the top and required quite a push to get it back down. Second one the top slider was wobbly and became worse. So waitingg on third at minute, hopefully its better, didnt expect this from Sony Ericsson, expected top quality! However in terms of the software it is superb, and the camera is good too, nice features with it. The MP3 player being the appeal of this phone really is great, im well impressed. its just an ipod on your phone!!
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Reviewed by Andrew from U.K on 21st Oct 2006
When I got this phone I was at first very impressed with how it looked and the slider which is great. The screen is much bigger compared to my old v600i I wasn't let down when I turned the phone on either the colour quality of the screen is amazing. This phone has many, many features you could never possibly get bored. The walkman is great and is very loud and the orange lights when the walkman is on is impressive. The camera is also great but wasn't very happy cos you can't zoom in when its on the 2 mega pixel setting you have to change it to vga so u lose a bit of quality. The three games on this phone are fun to play. The software and the USB is very good and very fast transfering. the headphones are funky and are good quality. Very good mobile Sony Ericsson 10/10! I recommend this to anyone, Especially people looking for a big memory! So Go Get One Now!!
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Reviewed by VR from UK on 21st Oct 2006
Loved the phone the minute I got it out of it's box. It is the perfect size and really easy to use - and looks really good at the same time! I would say this is a best buy and tell you to go buy it right now for Phones 4 u! - Thanks
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Reviewed by Ed from Vietnam on 21st Oct 2006
i have this phone for a week. The good points are long very battery life, very sound quality, very good music software,user friendly, good slider mechanism, well sized key pad, egronomic design. On the other side there are design flaws, the service LED light doesnt work (the manual doesnt tell how to fix it and the web support doesnt bother to answer it), you have to swith on/off the phone to change from normal to flight mode, the camera is not impressive, navigation button is tough. In addition the ligt effect during music playback is only one color..amber..the advertisement shows multicolor. Lastly the construction is too much plastic..for the price of the phone i was expecting...some light metal frame or casing. Overall its a good phone
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Reviewed by syed kabir from uk on 20th Oct 2006
this fone is quality. i've finally got one. i'm still a college student and i have this fone. i've been waiting for it since may 2006 and i finally got it. its basically an upped version of w810i. it has pros and cons. the cons are that it has no autofocus and no zoom in 2mpix mode and that the buttons take time getting used to. but apart from that think of it as a sliding w810i. i received this fone as a present from my uncle so im pleased that i have it. i rate it 4 stars. people if u have w800/w810i dont bother getting this because its very similar. can someone tell me how i can use the front camera. i cant use that for photography
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Reviewed by brian from uk on 18th Oct 2006
I got the white one. Gets dirty very easily but better than that horrible black. Music quality is very cool although i am having trouble transfering songs with that stupid SE software. 3G reception is not that good and best to turn it off as it drains the battery. The navi keys are a bit fiddly but still a descent phone.
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Reviewed by aaron from United Kingdom on 18th Oct 2006
i loved this mobile the second i seen it, as a work for O2 i tend to have a play about with these handsets - from the second i seen this handset, i knew i wanted it, its camera quality is perfect and it is realy good that Sony Ericson how come up wiv a SLIDE fone - i currently have the samsung D600 + the S/E-K750I - but i am now looking forward to my S/E-W850I
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Reviewed by keith from England on 16th Oct 2006
Waited a log time to get my hands on this phone. WOW its fab and better than i expected .But got one problem it will not send disc to phone. Loaded all that came with the phone but my xp keeps telling me its not conected. Has anybody had this fault if so please tell me how i can get my tunes to download from computor to phone.?
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Reviewed by Mark from UK on 15th Oct 2006
What a phone!!! Glad i waited for it....
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Reviewed by kcaj yllennod from india on 15th Oct 2006
this phone is the best phone i have ever come across in the 111 years i have been alive. it has everything from cool styles to music and photography.if your looking for a phone wich does a bit more than youl expect, then this is the one for you.
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Reviewed by Waza from UK on 15th Oct 2006
My brother has had this phone for 1 week and it looks great and has no problems. I will recommend this phone to anyone who loves SE and music! I am planning to get this phone on pay as you go white. Does anyone know how much it costs for handet only on vodafone? (White Exclusive to Vodafone) And can you use a o2 simcard on it? Thanks
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Reviewed by Mark from UK on 15th Oct 2006
As a walkman/music phone this is fantastic. The new style walkman software is great, very easy to use. Battery life is very good and the meter for it adapts to what functions you use at the time. Screen quality is typical of SE, very good. Camera quality is really the only let down on the phone but as it is a walkman phone, not a cyber-shot, then this is not a major concern. If you are after hi-res, auto-focus, etc. get the K800i as that is what it is designed for. As music phones go this is one of the best I have used. The nokia N91 is a close second in my opinion but is let down by size and weight. Overall I give the phone 5/5, it does everything I need it to do very well.
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Reviewed by joe from england on 14th Oct 2006
i loved it the miniute i saw it
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Reviewed by imran sohail from uk on 14th Oct 2006
I had this phone as an upgrade i took days to coose phone i change my handset every max 6 months ,so i selected this handset the look and display is cool but when i try to transfer my phone number from other handset via bletooth w850i froze for good.i have to now send it back. I would say sony ericsson disappointed me.
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Reviewed by Major from England on 13th Oct 2006
Just changed up from my trusted Nokia. I know a phone is a phone, but I wanted one with a good camera and a good MP3 player. I've got it with the W850i. Moving around the menus is great. Since 1993 I've had a few phones and, upto now, I've found the Nokia phones to be superb for the job. However, this may be the best phone that I've had as long as it can stand up to the odd drop and knock that my Nokia phones have been able to stand! One final fun thing, there's a little "Face" program on the phone that is superb... Sad.. but, I just can't stop laughing with it!!
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Reviewed by megabass from on 12th Oct 2006
The new walkman player 2 rocks and the sound is one of the best. Big disapointment are the keys. The keypad is too flat and the 4way directional keys are too sensitive and takes a while before ure able to quickly browse thru ure playlists. Camera is also not so good. It doesnt wave autofocus like the W800 but for music this is the best!
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Reviewed by Irfan from Khan on 11th Oct 2006
Phone of the year with k800i 1gb memory superb battery life is exellent if u want the music then go forthe w850i if you want the camerathen go for the k800i.
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Reviewed by chris from wales on 11th Oct 2006
This phone is the best around, great features loads of memory, you can upload free games from your pc .jar files. and the music is great. only one problem though, you can't put it down
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Reviewed by Yardmaster from UK on 10th Oct 2006
Pros: Every single feature you can think of in a phone Best sound quality yet on a walkman phone Track id is very usefull and free Cons: Bit bulky Not that impressed with camera (no autofocus) or battery life Overall if you've liked past sony ericsson phones then this one is the best yet
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Reviewed by Jimmy from UK on 10th Oct 2006
Have just got this phone and have to say i am very impressed. I have just come from the Nokia 8800 and this is a major step upwards in the feature department. The phone has everything - decent camera, decent MP3, even decent games! Its quite chunky but it feels like a real man phone, and its still a good looking phone! I would certainly recommend this phone, oh and the PC features are also very good!
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Reviewed by aaron from uk on 8th Oct 2006
i loved it form the seconed i saw it
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Reviewed by Gary from England on 8th Oct 2006
I too like below have waited for this phone for a while now and i agree it's a cracking phone. I've had in the past the w800i (which i liked) and then the w900 which i loved but felt was a little on the big side. I was worried at first i'd have to loose a few features from my w900 but so far havent found any. The w850 is easy to use just the same qualty camera as the w9 (2 camera's of course) The 1gb memory card supplied from the box was a nice bonus and the illuminated buttons that change colour for mp3s use is impressive. My only gripe and its a small one , the menu looks bland (reminded me of the old ngage menu) BUT this is nothing a decent theme wouldn't fix , The slide feature is suspec is how they managed to keep so much on board the phone but kept the size to an acceptable level. Anyone who's considering the w850i i would say go for it - there is no way you can be dissapointed with it , especially looking at the present range of nokia's. Well Done SE another great phone.....
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Reviewed by Thomas from UK on 7th Oct 2006
Just got it. It looks so cool. Much smaller than I expected. I bought the white version because SE is going to release W830i which is cheaper and looks exactly the same as W850i but will only be available in black colour. Anyways I'm so happy with my phone. The video quality is great and of course the bluetooth stereo music! This is a must have for a SE fan!!!
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Reviewed by Ryan from Manchester, UK on 7th Oct 2006
I must say i think SE have hit the nail on the head with this cheeky little number, i have owned so many of the top ranked mobiles and nothing compares to the w850i rather than bleat on like so many others about utter rubbish ill put it simply. GOOD POINTS : Loud Ringtones,Vibrate,Stereo Bluetooth,VOICE DIALLING!!!,MP3 text alerts,Great camera,Fantastically easy song transfers,Small yet solid build,Crystal clear screen display and wallpapers cover full screen and finally brilliant earphones as standards oh and the navigations menus can be changed into such cool different designs and patterns. BAD POINTS: I cant think of anything this phone is missing, its a pity SE didnt give the phone covering the rubbery feel of the Nokia6233 rather than a cheap plastic covering other than that tiny fault i gotta say TRY BEAT THE W850i .
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Reviewed by Minite todd from Manchester England on 7th Oct 2006
I already have a Sony Ericsson K880i and this is a nice addition to the Sonny Services communication systems. My brother Jess really likes the W850i also. Great sound, quality build and supplied with a 1gb mem card. It really is GREAT!
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Reviewed by Ian from UK on 6th Oct 2006
i was excited when they offered me this on contract as i would be one of the first to get it. Have to say though, it didnt live up to expectations. My slider was a bit wobbly and the left/right menu keys also felt a bit loose. The number keys werent much better either and just too flat and not well spaced so it's hard to tell what you're pressing. the four-way navigation keys are a little weird cos the keys are tiny but u get used to that. The good points- display is really good and so is the new walkman player. Camera was a big disappointment however and not as good as my old W800. I tried to like this phone but it's just too weird for my liking. Had to settle for a W810 in the end but at least that can be used as a phone;)
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Reviewed by da english gangsta from england on 6th Oct 2006
dis fone is the best da camera is fat it is mint for music dis is th ebest fone ever and as got a 1gb mem
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Reviewed by Razgriz from England on 5th Oct 2006
Take not mobile fans,your prayers are answered.The constant evolution of the sony ericsson walkman phone never ceases to impress and this is true of the W850i.To begin with the phone looks impressive in metallic grey with a textured feel. The TFT display is sharp, clear and detailed.The buttons are tactile and responsive and the navigation of the menus via the new directional pad is superb.All usual things like call quality and battery life are exemplary and the music and gaming and camera functions are equally superb. You get 1gb memory stick out the box and excellant headphones.I owned a K750i for 18 months which i thought at the time was top draw, but since owning this,well this is now the champion.If you own any other se walkman phone, this will be a fantastic upgrade (you wont be dissapointed) or if you own any other make of mobile, now is the time to change.Only the W950i with its 4gb harddrive is the only real threat to this phones podium position.Enjoy chaps.Cheeeoooo
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Reviewed by phone-wiz from uk on 5th Oct 2006
This phone is ugly in Blck but in white it is very nice a very good phone the only thing that disppointed me is that it is only 2megapixel camera but good
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Reviewed by Rory from England on 5th Oct 2006
What a brilliant new design, looks absolutely stunning. The way you navigate the phone from start to finish is outstanding and some new features may suprise you as they did me. They've got rid of that old horrible navigation joystick and have a much better flexipad which is so much easier to use. The music outro is brilliant aswell as providing you with 1GB memory stick to store a good amount of songs from day 1.
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Reviewed by jason from uk on 4th Oct 2006
Really ugly phone...!! I was offered this on contract but as an SE fan, i'm ashamed to say this phone just looks awful like it was designed by a 5 year old girl. Which is why i turned it down and went for the K800 even though i'm more of a music person than into taking pics. Not a big deal though as the music player on my K800 is more than adequate, well, till my next upgrade anyway.
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Reviewed by Clint from UK London on 4th Oct 2006
Great phone 10/10. Woooooooooooooooooooo
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Reviewed by tazmin from UK on 4th Oct 2006
I have been waiting for this phone since May. Looking everyday to see when it was coming out. I am not disappointed, what a fantasy phone. Always been a nokia fan but not inpressed with what they have to offer at the moment. Sony have made a quaity phone that deserves a good rating. Easy to operate, music and headphone great. Well done Sony another great product.
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Reviewed by Richard from UK on 4th Oct 2006
I've taken delivery of my W850 having replaced my K750 which suffered joystick problems. Initial impression is a high functionality phone. The slide annoys me a bit as it's too easy to do unintentionally (the Samsung D900 has a lip I believe to stop it). The walkman function is excellent, so do the graphics and the battery seems good. The keypad is okay but texting is made difficult by the raised edges of the phone slightly blocking the keys. The main outer pad is good for selecting things, but a little close together so the wrong button can be pressed. Otherwise phone features and functionality are on a par or above the excellent K750 but it comes with a weight penalty. The phone is a similar size, if not smaller, but it is thicker and definitely a weightier affair. This may actually suit some people though as it feels like a real phone. 4/5
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Reviewed by Abhishek from Scotland on 4th Oct 2006
Hi guys. Once again SE launch a winner. Very good looks and performance potentials. A 3g phone with loads of features. Just a few things lagging 1) No Edge 2) No auto focus for the camera. If you can live without these features then it is a good buy. Beats the latest nokia's.
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Reviewed by John from bagnell on 2nd Oct 2006
this phone is fantastic probably phone of the year in my opionion. I had my doubts about this phone but i was really impressed when i got it. It has a stunning screen,fantastic sound quality. Also the battery life is outstanding one of the best battery lifes on the market. The expandable memory is also good and the walkman feature is very impressive. 3G facilites added make this a must have phone 10/10
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Reviewed by Andy C from Scotland on 2nd Oct 2006
Top notch phone with excellent memory and cracking musical features. Easy on the eye too and perfect size for pocket. Much smaller than expected. Great.
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Sony Ericsson W850i links