Review: Sony Ericsson Z520i

Sony Ericsson Z520i Review

Phone rating:

The Sony Ericsson Z520i is an attractively-styled and compact clamshell phone with a camera, video camera & MP3 player. It's a mid-range phone, so don't expect too much from it, but for the money it represents good value.

The camera is just VGA resolution (0.3 megapixels), so the camera is really just for fun, and that applies to the video camera too. The main display is a good quality TFT display that is nice and bright, but it's not one of the best screens in its class. The external display is a colour STN display that fades in bright sunlight.

The MP3 player supports both MP3 & AAC formats, as well as MPEG4 video and is reasonably good, but with only 16 Mbytes of shared memory available you won't be able to store more than about 3 tracks. MP3/AAC ringtones are supported, and the Z520i has a cool feature that lets you have any combination of ringtones, images and lighting effects when you receive a call.

The covers are changeable - currently available in chalky white or sandy grey. You can also customise the phone with ringtones, Java games, animated wallpaper and themes. The Z520i supports all types of connectivity with other devices: Bluetooth, USB, infra-red and a new connection type called Fast Port that enables faster data transfer from phone to PC and PC to phone and also serves as a charging port. Other features of the phone include a web browser, high-speed data, quadband support and a picture phonebook. Battery life is average.

The Z520i is not a very robust phone and will not survive much rough treatment. If you expect your phones to last longer than 12 months this may not be the right one for you. Many people are buying the Z520i for its MP3 player capability, but as the phone has memory for no more than 3-4 tracks, this is bound to lead to disappointment. The new Z530i has a memory card option, so is better for music lovers, but the Z530i has its own set of problems and you might be better looking at other brands.

Features of the Sony Ericsson Z520i include:

• VGA camera (640 x 480 pixels) with 4x digital zoom and picture editor
• Video recorder with VideoDJ™ video-editing software
• Main display: TFT, 65,536 colours, 128 x 160 pixels
• External display: STN, 4096 colours, 101 x 80 pixels
• Media player: MP3/AAC (audio), MPEG4 (video)
• Speakerphone
• Sound recorder
• Voice controls
• 40-voice polyphonic ringtones / MP3 ringtones
• MusicDJ™ application for creating polyphonic ringtones
• Lighting effects
• Exchangeable Style-Up™ covers
• Messaging: SMS, EMS, MMS, Instant Messaging, E-mail
• Java™ games: embedded & downloadable
• Animated wallpaper, screensaver, themes
• Picture phonebook
• Personal organiser functions
• Memory: 16 Mbytes
• WAP 2.0, GPRS, HSCSD
• XHTML web browser
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, infrared, USB, Fast Port
• Vibration alert
• Quadband
• Size: 83 x 46 x 24 mm
• Weight: 94g

Sony Ericsson Z520i Consumer Reviews

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Average rating from 100 reviews:

You can read more Sony Ericsson Z520i reviews at RecommendedBuys UK.

Reviewed by J.Duddz from N.Ireland on 5th Sep 2006
Bought this handset for my 16 year old son as a Christmas present 05, Phone worked well for about 2 months then started to have problems with the keypad ie. buttons not working. After listening to a teenager complaining for some time I decided to return phone under warranty. A few days later it returned apparently repaired ( repair slip stated, "keypad replaced and a chip reflowed") Some weeks later the same buttons stopped working, but as this was intermittent and my son was a teenager I told him to live with it. this continued until August when the same buttons refused to work at all. Sent phone back under warranty. Guess what? I got a "Dear John" letter from the repairers stating that the phone is now "beyond economic repair" due to fluid ingress. How can this be? the fault is exactly the same as they supposedly repaired in April with no mention of fluid ingress. I have written to Sony Ericsson complaining about this and await their reply.
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Reviewed by Faye from UK on 5th Sep 2006
The phone is OK, but I had mine for 8 months and both screens failed and I had to get it repaird which lost all my pictures, phone numbers, videos and songs too. - which was really annoying. I would recommend this phone to someone who wouldnt want to add songs to it or wouldn't use it daily ... not many people then really...
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Reviewed by Sasha from United Kingdom on 5th Sep 2006
I think this phone is great, anyone who has got a problem with it is mad! I love the way the keys and external screen light up orange and not blue like most phones! The keypad is excellent nice and easy to use because it's flat, everyone who saw it when I first brought it complimented on how they love the keypad!!! Everything else fab too, long battery life, nice looking and sounding got all you want in a phone! Love Sony Ericssons!!!
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Reviewed by karen from ireland on 4th Sep 2006
i bought my z520i in jan this year, all was well for a couple of months then it froze...then all was well again for a little while, then it froze again..calls would be dropped,it would freeze and now i am experiencing the white screen of death..the phone shuts down when i turn it on, then magically turns itself back on, then off, then on, you get the picture?? all the time though the screen remains white..6 months ago iwas delighted with my new ph and would recommend it as a good buy...now,im not so sure.
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Reviewed by Lora from England on 3rd Sep 2006
I Think This Fone Is Ok! Its Not The Best Iv Had! The Memory On It Is Rubbish I Hav About 3 Songs On And It Used All The Memory And Thats With No Pictures Wot So Eva! Apart From That Its Am Ok Fone Iv Had It For 8 Months And Neva Had A Major Problem Howeva 2 Months Afta I Bought It The Screen Started To Peel Off!
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Reviewed by jacky from england on 1st Sep 2006
this phone is absolutely brilliant.it has everytthing a phone needs and it doesnt cost that much
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Reviewed by kez from england on 31st Aug 2006
when i first brought this phone i thought it was really good and it had all the features that a really good phone needs but then when i wanted to put music onto the phone i realised that i could only put on 3 songs at one time because the memory wasnt good at all. That would most probably be the only downfall on this phone. Two really good features on this phone is that there are changeable fascias and 1 of the fascias in the box woz pink!! and i am loiking for a baby blue face so that the phone would look even more better! I would recommend this phone but only to people that wouldnt use up a lot of memory.
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Reviewed by Fred from England on 30th Aug 2006
The phone is amazing, I got my one for £70, I was going to get the Motorola V360, but I wanted a SE. It doesn't come with a USB which is annoying, its memory only stores a few songs but thats not a big problem. Bluetooth is great, the screen is clear. DO NOT put your fingernal on the internal screen, it scratches easily, if you treat your phone with ultimate care, its the phone for you. Also, its a great phone for its price.The incoming call lights are cool as well as the the video, which comes out brilliant in full screen mode, considering the fact the camera is only vga! If you had to get a phone on t mobile £70 or less this is your phone. If you are going onto vodafone with the same price range get the Motorola V360. Compared to my old Samsung Clamshell (X640), this phone is amazing. Its cheap technology, I highly recommend it...
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Reviewed by habiba a from nigeria on 28th Aug 2006
this fone is realy cute with video, mp3e.t.c although it has a short memory it is better than the nokia6820 i had.the fone is cool with its changeable covers to match with the colour of your outfits
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Reviewed by amy from - on 25th Aug 2006
i bought this phone a couple of days ago and i have already had to take it back as it kept on freezing. I changed it for a new one which will not turn on !!!! i loved it for the whole day it worked though!! i also think the covers are too hard too change!!! not a good phone!!
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Reviewed by Susan from England on 22nd Aug 2006
This phone is great!! I's all you'll ever need. The only problem with it is when I have it in my bag the camera button keeps getting pressed in and taking continuess photo's. I got this for just under £100 and believe me it's worth it and i've had this phone bout 6 months and i'm not bored of it! You can express your self with pictures, tones and lots, lots more. If your thinking of getting this phone then get it it's great and stylish!
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Reviewed by sam from england on 18th Aug 2006
It's a really good looking phone it's really reliable.The only problems with it is that its a bit fragile and there isnt much memory i woould recmoend it.I got it for £100 and it was worth it. the camera is ok the screen is fine except in sunlight the flashing lights are wickid bluetooht and infored is always nice to have.
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Reviewed by becky from england on 17th Aug 2006
This fone is fab!! ive had it for 6 months now and not had any problems with it. Its got all the features u need in a fone n works really well!!But it doesnt have much storage space for songs but it holds about 4 songs so its not too bad. I would definitely reccomend this fone!!
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Reviewed by Samantha from England on 13th Aug 2006
This phone is good and i am very pleased although i thought it would have a larger memory and it keeps taking pictures of the inside of my bag or pocket which is very annoying after a while. i just recently had to send it back to the company as it ran out of charge and refused to charge back up. my friend had exactly the same problem with hers i dont know if this is just coincidence or if it applies to others too. Generally a good phone it has everything i need apart from a big memory.
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Reviewed by jasmine from england on 9th Aug 2006
this phone is real snazzy and has a cool feel to it. i only owned it for about 2 hours as i decided to take it back. i ttook it back because my god, the screen scratched to easily, i just put a fingernail on it and it left a PERMANENT scratch!!!! id say definatley go for this phone if you treat your phone with care it seems v cool.
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Reviewed by Barney from England on 2nd Aug 2006
This phone is fantastic what are you all moaning about? I have had no problems whatsoever and I have not found memory a problem at all. I use it for work and as a result I send and receive in excess of 50 text messages a day and only have to clear them about once a week! That is much better than the T630 I had before. The camera and video are great, oh and you can film longer clips by changing modes in the video settings part (it is defaulted to the setting to send them by MMS). Fantastic phone, someone said it will only hold 500 contacts, but who knows more than 500 people?! I totally recommend it, and they currently have it for sale reasonably cheap in Argos too.
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Reviewed by Jaimie from England on 1st Aug 2006
This phone is amazing!
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Reviewed by Arvin Gonzales from Philippines on 31st Jul 2006
Good day! I do hope that my review on the Sony Ericsson Z520i will help those who are wanting to get the phone in the future. Ok to start off i've been using sony ericsson mobile phones eversince ericsson is not yet merging with sony. Anyway, there are key points that would be considered for the Z520i. First the overall performance of the phone is excellent. Battery life is good(2 to 3 days anyway its network dependent and on the usage)turning bluetooth to always on and increasing the brightness display will make your battery to drain easily. Secondly, features are good with the MMS and GPRS Access might come in handy, third the camera is good there are no delays when shooting to video mode, picture quality is clear, fourth, sound quality is good for voice calls, the earpiece is loud sounds are audible and clear. fifth, the keypads are comfortable to use even with large fingers its easy to press because it has a large keypad design.Sixth, the display is cystal clear you can s ee the icons with crisp display. THE ONLY DOWNFALL OF THE Z520i would be its built. Comparing the phone other Z Series sony ericsson released this phone has a somewhat poor quality build. The casing is creaky. Whenever you close of open the phone it creates a plasticky sound and it creaks every now and then. Specially for the China made Sony Ericsson Phones, the one I tested is made in China. So I would suggest if you decide to get a Sony Ericsson NEVER EVER BUY IT IF ITS MADE IN CHINA because the build is not as good as the ones MADE FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. Overall If you are looking for a small, compact design phones with an average features. I would highly recommend this phone. I hope this review helps.
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Reviewed by must read from England on 29th Jul 2006
ive had this phone since april n i think its gt its gd points the keys r big enough for u to press without makin a mistake n the options r gr8 i also like the fact u can change the colour however iw ud like to say that no mata how many gd points r its memory is crud i gt 2 songs and 50 photos on it n my phone is full or i used to have 3 songs n 15 photos i wud onli advise this to people hu dnt care about the memory. recently i went to a partay n peeps starting readin ym messages ni like pulled the screen abit to get it off them but now it seems broken my bluetooth aint workin as gd n it freezes ... i wud say thou its a gd phone but nt the greatest if ur looking for memory
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Reviewed by jonnykop from Ireland` on 24th Jul 2006
This phone at first works great, but then even as soon as I took it out of the packet the screen fell off!! All was ok for 1/2 months but the phone would just turn itself off then come back on 5 mins later which was slightly annoying. But then one day it decided to just not turn on, then when it did turn on the screen was just white. When I brought it back I was told the phone was being discontinued as there had been so many complaints. Tells it's own story. Stay away, get a relaible Nokia!!
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Reviewed by Alana from England on 24th Jul 2006
this phone sucks i paid £90 and only 2 months later im gettimg the w7ooi so anyone whos got this phone or is going to get dont get the w7oo w8oo or w81o. the screen is rubbish the camera is rubbish and most of all if its music u luv da most u will probably smash n den take it bk the same day. lol xxx
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Reviewed by laura from england on 24th Jul 2006
I brought this phone in Feb 2006 off carphone warehouse and i've had problems with it ever since. The guarente only lasted for 28 days and i didnt get chance to take it back until after the guarente was up, now all they can do is take it in and repair it or give me a reconditioned phone. After taking it back they repaired my handset and the day after getting it back it had froze again. Also if i wanted to send a text it would come up saying i needed a number for the network which i wasn't about to call up and find the number to just send it back to them anyway. So i took back the phone and they said they would have to wait for a reconditioned phone to come in as they didn't have one avaliable. So after a about 3 weeks one arrived in the post to me, which i was acctually told it was going to go to the shop. However this phone turned up with one white fascia on the front and one pink fascia on the back which is not acceptable since i had already complained about the service. The day after again the new phone started to play up with the same problems as the old handset. So i took back the new and old handset and asked for a new replacment phone, but not the same handset as i cannot trust it any longer. So they said they would do that so i left with the reconditioned phone. However after waiting a few days for a response from them to ask me which phone i would prefere out of a choice of 2 or 3 i went down to the shop, and they told me their policy had changed that they would only change like for like. So now i am again waiting for a reconditioned sony ericcson z520i which i know is going to have the same problems. I hope after reading this you will not buy the Sony Ericcson z520i as i wouldn't want you to have the same problems i have had. I believe it is a fault of Sony Ericcson's design and making and not of Carphone Warehouse's evan though they are not being very helpful in this matter.
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Reviewed by Sean from UK on 22nd Jul 2006
I recently got the se z520i for my bithday present and i can proudly say that it is the best phone i have evr had. It is way better that the Sony Ericsson T630. The phone looks amazing and there are many style-up covers to pirchase to make the phone suit you. My phone came with pink, england flag and white which is easy to get dirty but a good clean will do the trick. The camera on the phone is fairly good, it has several shoot modes so you can take amusing pics with frames. With this phone you can take a pic of yourself using the external screen - this is very useful. The video camera is also good. For a 65k screen the graphics are unbelievable.The bright blue lights are amazing when you recieve a text or an incoming call. The only bad side to the z520i is that the memory is not that good, it comes with 16mb and i only have room for 4 mp3's and 3 games. Overall this phone is very entertaining, you won't get tired of this phone. THIS PHONE IS BRILLIANT!
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Reviewed by Amy from Scotland on 21st Jul 2006
Really nice wee phone! I did not know a lot about sony ericsson phones but I would say that this one is great. I dont use my phone for a lot more than a phone so MB etc. is not a huge problem for me. The camera is fine, about all I would expect for a phone as I have a camera for when I need good quality photos! I was impressed with the battery life - lasts about 3-4 days between charges for me. It has bluetooth too. I would say that the button for the camera being on the outside edge of the phone is a disadvantage as it does take photos in your bag/pocket but in the grand scheme of things this is not a huge problem!
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Reviewed by steph from new york on 13th Jul 2006
it was my birthday on the 8th of july but i got my phone a week before hand i was really excited and couldent wait till i could take the cover off to put the pink 1 on but it took ages because i didnt want to break it once i did it and turned my phone on i was so happy that i had an amazing phone for really cheap intill hardly any memory when i had hardly nothing on the phone that would take up so much memory anyway apart from that the phone is wicked there is amazing sound also light's when someone rings you most best game ever on it ny nights you should get this phone but if your looking for lots of memory id try and look for another phone otherwise do so
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Reviewed by Stuart from Northants on 11th Jul 2006
Overall an attractive looking phone with some good features... The GOOD - Camera takes half decent pictures, the video is fun, expecially the fact that you can add music to your clips (I have an funny few minute clip of my partners mum trying to get on her horse, accompanied with silent movie style music...). Plenty of ringtones. Easy to use menu with some good features (diary, games, adding photos, ringtones and light effects to peoples numbers etc). Decent Battery life too. The BAD - gets dirty really easily, espicially the clip on cover which also seems cheap plastic, and it seem that the screen is not very well sealed, dirt and fluff gets under round the edge (design fault). Interior screen can be a little slow to come on when phone opened and mine has now packed up all together and been sent for repair (had it 9 months), the camera keeps taking pictures in my pocket... Overall a stylish and funky little phone with some good features but a few design faults...
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Reviewed by Maggy from namibia on 8th Jul 2006
I just got this phone for my birthday. and it's the best phine i've ever seen. it's a great phone to give your kid as a first phone. believe me. it has camera, video, infrared ect.
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Reviewed by Jimmy from England on 5th Jul 2006
I really love this phone. I have just recieved it today as a birthday gift. It is already by far better than all the other phones I have had, it is my first decent phone. I can see many happy months with this phone ahead. Go on... go get yourself one!
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Reviewed by AMY from New-Zealand on 5th Jul 2006
WOW!! everything is great especially the camera,bluetooth,infarared and etc. bad problem:SMALL MB but still its a great fone to use... recommended!!
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Reviewed by kim from england on 27th Jun 2006
i had this fone b4 xmas,i thought it was great but it holds very few songs as the memory gets full quickly.its a nice lookin fone and the quality of the pics are good untill u put them on the computer.its pretty cool and mine came wiv a white and a pink cover. it looks best in white i think
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Reviewed by luke 06 from england on 27th Jun 2006
hi i hav just got this fone and its outstanding the camera is brilliant and the video is good bye everyone.
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Reviewed by lulu from UK on 23rd Jun 2006
this phone is a good phone for the price it has good features suh as bluetooth and video and camera and mp3 player. the games are good there is one like tetris and another a bit like the sims but not as amazing but what do you expect from a phone? i found the video and camera quality fine for the purpose of veiwing on the phone but if you are using the camera stuff for anything else such as on the pc then it is not that great. I like the look of the phone and the fact that you can change the covers is really funky and makes the phone more interesting. Mine came with an england flag cover, a pink one and also a white one but im only going to use the white one on special occasions cos i think it might get dirty!! the mp3 player is good quality and the bluetooth connection is really quick however it is quite annoying as at the moment i have 3 fairly short videos(about 20 secs) 10 photos and 7 mp3 tracks and the memory is already full up :( this is quite annoyig cos at the start it feels like the memory is huge but i underestimated how big songs are! im not sure if it works but it sounds a good tip to get over the problem of memory, buy a bluetooth connector or usb cable for the pc and transfer songs, videos and pics back and forth to the phone without loosing them. at least this will be cheaper than a new phone! i did look at the samsung d500 but i prefer the flip phone style as it feels more like the screen is protected. also the self portrait feature is good for taking photos of yourself with mates but i must admit me and my friends keep accidently pressing the camera button when we are just looking at or holding the phone. the camera does not go off in my bag cos i bought a phone sock(£1.50 in claires) which stops it. overall a fun phone but if you can afford it buy one with more memory!!!
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Reviewed by TINA from UK on 23rd Jun 2006
The greatness of this phone purely depends on what you are upgrading from to be honest.If you're changing from a D500/k750i for example, you wont be that blown away by the z520i, but if your upgrading from a Nokia,or a V3, then this phone will impress you featurewise. It's easy to find your way around,has many good features for the price and has a sturdy flip so doesnt feel like it'll snap every time you open it. The camera is just a fun added extra really, so dont expect too much, but is adequate-as cameras go. The flashing lights are a little extra quirk that teenagers will love, and it has some dodgy ringtones but you should be able to find one that you like to get you started. I personally dislike the sickly barbie pink snap on facia's, and the white looks cheap in my opinion. I cant wait to find another supplier of different color facia's, but this is proving more difficult than i anticipated. If anyone knows of any high street suppliers that stock the facia's, please respond here to let me know. Ultimately, this phone is good value for money and will suit most people wanting an a clamshell with good features, and if you like white or pink facia's, then you're sure to be happy, so go for it. Im hanging on to my d500, just in case i cant find new z5201 facias though......!!
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Reviewed by Saira from Birmingham on 19th Jun 2006
I have to admit this phone isn't by any means outstanding, but it was the same price as my old phone which only has half of that the Z520i has. It can only store three or four songs, but I've got an iPod and mini MP3 player anyway so it's not so bad. If you want a phone that holds alot of MP3s then buy the Sony Ericsson Walkman. Makes sense to do that. Anyway, I've only had this phone literally about one day so I don't know too much about it.
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Reviewed by jean from england on 14th Jun 2006
i have had this phone since my birthday about 4 months ago abd its been absoulutly great. its lovely and i would recomend it to any one!
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Reviewed by Heather from UK on 13th Jun 2006
I got this fone b4 christmas and I was very impressed for the price of £89.99, one of the best fones I had. I wanted to get a new fone but couldnt let it go, although the video capture only records 4 about 11secs which is rather annoying. But then it fell down the toilet over a wk ago and it wont switch on..Im gutted :'(
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Reviewed by Victoria Smith from England on 11th Jun 2006
This phone is the best by far I love it and everyone who doesnt like it isn't on my mates list, If you didn't like the phone why buy it????? There mite be a few hickups but nothing bad!! The Phone has excellant colour screen, fab camera which you can put to colour, Black and White or Sceptic- which I thought was ace!! The phone doesn't have any disadvantages that i'm aware of touch wood, the Razr v3 is the same price, my mam has it on T-Mobile and it is rubbish, when receving a text message it takes forever for you to be able to read the message!! I love this phone, and the people who put bad reviews on can get lost coz if you check out www.123simply-victoria-jane.piczo.com The list of the top 5 phones are in order on the page!! I'm luvin' this phone Lv me buzzin' 06
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Reviewed by chrissy from uk on 9th Jun 2006
had this phone since christmas 2005 - had #trouble with it in Jan 06 got it exchanged for another one! and now this week june 06 it has lost all life and wont start up or anything and all the shop can say is that it has got damp and shorted out the phone which isnt covered by the years Guarantee suprise suprise !!! and in all of this i have lost all my contact numbers as they were saved to the phone and not my sim. and i also can honestly say it has not been near water either!" rubbish phone yuk i did really like it but watch out !!!
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Reviewed by Emma .C. from UK on 8th Jun 2006
I have had this phone since my birthday- about 3 months now and there have been no problems. It is a cool, stylish, handy phone where you can change covers and it flashes when a phone call comes through. The camera is quite good and you can also take videos which is also handy. You can upload photos, images, MP3 via Bluetooth to the phone as well!! Definately recommend it. :)
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Reviewed by Katie Lee from Northumberland on 4th Jun 2006
Just purchased this phone last week and what can i say!!! It cost me £99.99 and i think it was well worht the money, the only problem is the memory i can only store 4 mp3 files. the phone looks sexy and stylish and with the pink cover you get free inside the box it is a bargain and it is definaley a girly fone!!! :-) Katie x x x x
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Reviewed by Natalie from Slovenia on 3rd Jun 2006
i got this phone and i love this fone! i have no problems with z520i, everything is working just perfect...to anyone who you are buying a phone and than you are complaining about scratches and i dont know what- here is a tip: You must check the phone in the store before you buy it! HeLO?? i bought it without any contract to any mobile opertator... and 16 megabytes is just ok place for me...i dont need 10thousand music and pictures and 100 themes...simple buy a bluetooth adapter, conect phone with computer and you can daily update your music and change it.
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Reviewed by - from - on 1st Jun 2006
This phone is the best in the whole world if you are trying to get a refund ur out of ur mind.
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Reviewed by sukhi from england on 27th May 2006
dis phone is bare good it looks wiked wit da interchangable fascias(pink) da camera quality ent dat gd but da rest of it is just gr8 i wud recomend dis phone 2 ne1
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Reviewed by tasha s from england on 23rd May 2006
Itz alryt n i jus got it 2day. i lykd it at frst but then it strtd to annoy me. I lyk the look n evrythin els. But i dnt no how to work the mp3 n it dusnt record vidz 4 long eitha. The cam button on d syd hasnt bin a prob YET lol. Err i fink itz qwyt gud and i fink ill lyk it mor wen i get used to it n find out ow to do mor stuff on it ol. The instruction manul aint v.gud lol cuz i dint get it. Errr i fink itz gudd for lyk £99 n i wud recommend it to teenagerz (lyk me) hu often rek der fonez qwikly. dno wht els to say bowt it.
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Reviewed by lisa from england on 23rd May 2006
i got the phone on contract with t mobile it had to go back after one day because it was scratched and volume went down could not hear people when i was ringing them.i loved the phone apart from that i now have to send it back and wait for a replacement very frustrating.the camera only turnred on once in my pocket and the phone kept freezing on me but other than that a good choice of phone.
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Reviewed by Isabel from Cyprus on 21st May 2006
Dont get this phone youll just waste your money. it only has 16 mg, which is rubbish. im telling you take a phone that fots a memory card cause with this phone you wont get anywhere!
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Reviewed by ziggy from ENGLAND on 19th May 2006
THIS PHONE IS RUBISH !! sorry to tell u that but it it i got this phone on april 27 and on the same day took it back the sony ericsson V600i is the best ZIGGY XX
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Reviewed by Katrine from UK on 18th May 2006
I was due an upgrade and chose this phone dispite the stories of the camera going off all the time. Was a bit sceptical, but have now had it for 2 weeks and absolutely love it. It's cool, easy to use and small. Had a Sony Ericsson T630 before, so quite a step up for me.
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Reviewed by Danielle from UK on 17th May 2006
Great little phone if like me, you only really call, text and take the odd piccy. Really easy to use, lovely colour screen, looks nice too. The only problem is the camera button on the outside of the shell - it keeps taking random pictures of the bottom of my handbag....
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Reviewed by holli from england on 6th May 2006
this phone is good mine went in the washing mashine and still worked WOW!!!! but i have got absolutely no idea on how to work the mp3 can some1 please tell me?
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Reviewed by Sarah from England on 5th May 2006
I love this phone but i got it delivered and had to send it back the same day cos the screen was really scracthed. I recieved another but am still not happy as the inside screen scratchers too easily! so i'd warn u about that. i'm sending the 2nd one back and getting a totally different phone as the screens on this one dont seem that good!
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Reviewed by k from united kingdom on 29th Apr 2006
i have had the phone for a few days now and so far its great, didnt have much money to buy a phone and got this one on o2 for about £90 so i thought it was a great price but didnt expect to much from the phone, people that say dont get it because it dont have this and that but you shouldnt expect everything from a phone that is fairly cheap. i cant find any thing really bad with it except the camera i think could be a little better because my old motorola v500 had a better camera and its older.. but thats it, so if your looking for a phone that is cheap and nice looking and has every thing you should need you should really go for it.
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Reviewed by muz from kuala lumpur on 25th Apr 2006
bought 4 my gf & she love it.value for money for mid-range handphone, don't expect too much.cheers
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Reviewed by Helen from UK on 23rd Apr 2006
Nice phone, bad camera, easy to use, BUT had to return it because the camera kept taking photos as soon as the button on the side was touched. In my bag, in my pocket, on centre console in car! just couldn't live with it. Shame, good phone. (not good on memory!)
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Reviewed by Sa from UK on 23rd Apr 2006
THE BEST PHONE EVER: ADVANTAGES: A good selection of ringtones and I downloaded new ringtones and wallpapers for free on the internet. The menu screen is really cool as well. The best things are the look of it and the ENTERTAINMENT it has in it- it has photoDJ(edit photos), musicDJ(add notes and effects to compose music), photoDJ(edit wallpapers and camera photos), cool games downloadable, has bluetooth! Personally I didn't really like the facial colour white so i changed it into pink (it comes with the phone), but I didnt really think pink was very good either it kind of looked like a toy mob (all the other girls like the pink though) (^^; So I bought a silver blue cover at internet shopping for a fiver and it looked FAB! The camera is really good; you can change it to night mode, have frames and different sizes etc. You can record video for long, like 8 minutes when you have enough memory. The movement is smooth unlike motos. DISADVANTAGES: Has reasonable memory size but not expandable. but not a big problem really. The camera button outside the phone can be useful to take pistures of yourself, but it keeps turning itself on when I'm just holding the phone. this can be a bit annoying but i think im just clumsy. ...That's all the disadvantages i could find!
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Reviewed by boredgal from england on 22nd Apr 2006
this phone is really good i like the fact that its pink and its not chunky- because i thought it will be but it isnt i didnt think that it would have been this good ive had this phone for three months and i personaly think that its better than the motorola v3raza- that phone is just too small
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Reviewed by LoUiSe from DeVon!x on 21st Apr 2006
i got this phone for my bday n its really good!x!its cool with a pink cover on it n i havent had any problems with it n its got loads of stuff on it.its a good shape n everything on it is good too!x!also texting is really easy on this phone!x!its a cool phone n i recommend everyone to go n get one!x!thnx!x!
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Reviewed by lizi from england on 18th Apr 2006
this phone is brilliant!! please if you are thinking of buying this phone. Ignore the people who wrote bad things about this phone cos they almost put me off buying it, but im really glad i bought it now. It's really stylish and easy to navigate around - i picked it up in seconds!! the colour is good and all the backgrounds are gdgd fun. okok, the ringtones aren't gr8 but u can always dowload new ones. i got my phone on o2 and they let you have a free game and a ringtone in the first 30 days, so that solves the problem of boring ringtones and games!! the camera is an improvement on my old phone, and can take gdgd pictures so dnt be put off by the people who say the camera isn't amazing. it's fine but as they said it isn't amazing. Also the people who said they had problems with the camera button, i didn't so mayb u wont either. on the whole this phone is gr8 and i definitely dnt regret buying it and u wont either!!
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Reviewed by Mark from Scotland on 17th Apr 2006
I personally love this phone, people should check on a phone before buying, it saves time. (Also, could the people that know how to, please use better english grammar and spelling) thanx :-)
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Reviewed by dayna from england on 15th Apr 2006
wooooow!! ive convinced my mum to get me this phone after she wouldn't, and im sure if she had it, even she would be impressed! It's nice and small, but not too small that you cant press the buttons. And unlike my old phone, the quality when speaking on it is very good. I would recoomend this phone- go and get it now!!!
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Reviewed by yash from U.K on 14th Apr 2006
its alright but its not got that much memory space
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Reviewed by lewis from england on 14th Apr 2006
this phone is well good belive me
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Reviewed by Katie from England on 10th Apr 2006
This phone has lots of things to offer like picture & video editing,it does have a small memory which is a downfall,but try having the mtorola v3(in pink) that phone is useless.But this phone is handy,and easy to hold,with plenty to offer.
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Reviewed by bob from england on 10th Apr 2006
i agree with James plz dnt listen 2 every1 oh the camera isnt good enough (it is good dnt worry) ITS A PHONE NOT A CAMERA !!!!! IT IS THE BEST PHONE EVER
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Reviewed by james aubrey from engalnd york on 10th Apr 2006
this phone is the best in the world and its not even that pricy i got mine 4 £80 and my bros phone is a nokia 6680 and it is £230 quid and i think and he thinks mine is miles better. The camera is like a proper digital camera and the light effects are awsome and you can change the cover 2 differant coulours BUY IT NOW ITS CHEAP ITS BRILLIANT AND ITS EASILY THE BEST PHONE IN THE WORLD IN MY OPINION! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ITS DEFFIANTLY WORTH £80 I WUD BY it 4 A £1,000,000
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Reviewed by joey from RP on 10th Apr 2006
My only complaints for this phone are the camera/video and the memory. Other than that, it's a good phone. Nice design, easy navigation, well-spaced keys, and a good interface. The quality of the the camera/video doesn't bug me that much since I don't really use my phone to take real (i.e, serious) pictures. It's a good phone for those who like their phones small and chic, which also means this is more of a lady's phone than a man's.
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Reviewed by Sarag from Uk on 3rd Apr 2006
I personly don't like this phone. I have had it for about 2 months. It was alright at first but now it just annoys me. Especially the camra button on the side keeps going off in my bag. And the poor memory I thought that it might have a half decent memory for the price! And the aerial is just ugly! And the camra aint that good. I'm soon going to upgrade to a samsung E770. Which hopefully is better then this phone. It only sales because it's pink!
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Reviewed by laura from Birmingham on 2nd Apr 2006
I brought my phone yestaday i was scared that i was not making the right chocie of phone. I dont no what i was worried about it is a BRILL PHONEthere r only 2 games but i can buy some camra animated backgrounds i have a heart that fells up with water then puts a arrow throught it i got a change the cover i had white on but changed it 2 pink! cause it is my fav there are also diffrent covers so u dont have 2 have pink but i would it is not a sickly coloured pink anyway this is a womans phone in deed and there are lots of purks to it ringtones not that gd but what do ya wont so if u r think about 2 get this phone u should get it no worries in all a BRILL PHONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Reviewed by Becci from Tamworth, UK on 29th Mar 2006
This is a brilliant phone great feature nice shape/size etc the only downfall to it is the memory sapce!! i like to take alot of pictures and videos and have mp3's so i used the memory up pretty quickly so i have swapped for a phone with a bigger memory which is a shame as i like the z520i!!! but i need the memory so!!
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Reviewed by paula from uk on 29th Mar 2006
Thought i'd get something different looking to all the motorola and samsung clams out there but turned out that wasn't such a good idea. I did check out the features before buying so that wasn't the problem. Basically, the screen is very pixelated and not very sharp, the keypad needs a bit of getting used to and feels like the phone is about to break every time i try and text somethin, the outer display isn't bright enough and can't read it at all during the day, and everytime the phone's in my bag my keys get tangled up with that loop antenna which makes it a pain to answer calls quickly while attemptin to get it out of the bag. Coudnt return it as there were a few scracthes on it so gave it to my couzin and after shopping around a little i got myself a nice little samsung e530 for not much more than i paid for this.
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Reviewed by Livia from UK on 27th Mar 2006
For all you loser that said this was a rubbish phone. You oviously don't know anything about mobiles. This mobile is fantastic and great value for money. Yes the memory could be a little bigger but it is big enough for somebody like me. I have to only charge it about every 9 days beacuase it stands for AGES even though i have my phone on 24/7. This really is a fantastic phone and I would advise any body to get one. Love it and wouldn't change it for the world.
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Reviewed by Joanne from Scotland on 26th Mar 2006
I've had this phone for nearly 2 months and love it. I got it off the Vodafone website for £100 and it came with a white and a baby blue fascia. I bought a pink fascia for it off eBay. It has lots of memory and is really cute.
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Reviewed by Marika from England on 20th Mar 2006
Hi all I have heard that the handle bit is the aerial so don't complain about it too much it is needed! I love this phone, the sounds are fantasric and the memory is ace. Fantastic
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Reviewed by Alex from UK on 19th Mar 2006
Firstly, looks. It's a nice phone too look at, however the novelty of the bright whiteness soon wears off when dust and grime start to attach to the screen and body of the phone causing it to look quite ugly at times. There is also a useless piece of plastic which sticks out of the top, assumingly for some type of neck strap, it looks stupid, though. The internal features are great, easy to use and navigate, attractive designs and layouts HOWEVER the camera and video is quite poor. The memory of the phone is bad in comparison to other phones, 15MB won't last very long if you like realtones/ringtones. Another negative is the external camera button, it takes a snap every time it presses against your leg or bag.. quite annoying.. average phone
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Reviewed by Yttak from Australia on 12th Mar 2006
Just bought this phone as a 'second' phone to my SE P910i. Excellent value for money. Pretty much everything you need for a mid range phone. Screen quality maybe not as good as some other mid ranges in comparison, but you get what you pay for. Not a lot of storage space but once again, you get what.... But overall I like this phone. I like the aerial loop at the top. Good for hanging your strap onto or attaching it to your hand bag as I do. My friend has a Samsung D500 and she paid more than twice the price for her phone and I still think the Z520i is a better phone. Few extra features you don't get on the Samsung. Cool Phone.
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Reviewed by Emma from England on 11th Mar 2006
This phone is amazing a lot better than my old one. The features are great and it has loads of memory. I love my phone and wouldn't change it for anything.
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Reviewed by chloe from england on 11th Mar 2006
I got this phone for my birthday, and it is amazing! I especially love the stylish look, the amazing light effects and the addictive games! I have been on it for hours just exploring all you can do with it.....an oustanding phone! I would definately recommend it to everyone!
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Reviewed by Kate from England on 7th Mar 2006
This would be a good little phone except that there is no keypad lock nor camera on-off switch - I have small hands but the phone takes a photo every time I open the phone or it presses against something in my bag. The camera switch is badly placed and unlike the old SEs like the T610 you don't have put the phone into camera mode to take a photo, nor like the new ones D750i etc can you use a camera on-off switch on the phone's exterior. I rang SE who confirmed this is a design fault and they will again pass on the comment to their design team. I can't return it either for a refund and am very disappointed as really like SE phones. If anyone has any solutions to the above please post. Otherwise the phone is nice and clear but maybe a bit overpriced.
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Reviewed by Abi from UK on 5th Mar 2006
I think this phone is good and its very cute. However, it's features don't compare to any other phones out now. It has very limited space and the camera is ok, not amazing. I think its quite attractive but the holder on the top is quite pointless. I was upgrading from a Nokia and the features aren't really any different. I thought i was going for something fantastic, and was actually very dissapointed. The layout is easy and it has funky lights but its nothing new.
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Reviewed by hayley from uk on 5th Mar 2006
i have had this phone for 2 days and i have had no problems with it ,its a great little phone i have always liked sony phones. it has everything you could expect from a phone and it is a nice price as well, i would recommend it to anyone who is thinkin of buyin one!! go on go out and buy one.
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Reviewed by ola from Poland on 3rd Mar 2006
Ive just bought this phone In my opinion is excellent.His blue light is amazing. This phone is meant especially for woman - very small, thinny, and trendy.
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Reviewed by Gill from England on 3rd Mar 2006
Got this for my 14yr old daughter but the phone keeps freezing and when it is working i can hardly hear her from the other end. It's also very fragile and probably won't survive that long in the hands of an active teenage girl so i've taken it back and got her the samsung e330N which so far seems extremely reliable despite not having bluetooth or mp3 tones.
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Reviewed by Karen from N. Ireland on 2nd Mar 2006
Great phone - nice weight - feels solid and of good quality. Cool in white and flashing lights at side are a nice touch. Easy to use - I always liked the Sony Ericsson navigation and pots of functionality. Camera is fine for nights out on the town. All round - it's great value for money!!!
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Reviewed by Jill from United Kingdom on 1st Mar 2006
Thanks for all your reviews which helped me choose this phone and I am not disappointed. I love the compact size and the features. My previous phone was a dinosaur which had no features to speak of so this is a real treat! I was mostly interested in a quadband phone with a calendar facility and games. Mine came preloaded with 2 games: "NY Nights" and "QuadraPop" (QuadraPop is a Tetris-type game). The contacts feature is handy because as well as entering names and numbers you can add address, e-mail address, birthday and notes for your contacts and then their birthdays can be automatically added to the calendar. I also like the "Notes" feature, which allows you to store notes and if you so wish you can make them appear on the "standby" (main) screen. Saves you writing reminders on sticky notes and losing them! I also like the feature that enables the phone to display a photo of the person who is calling - neat! I've only had the phone a few days so not got into the bluetooth functionality, internet, e-mail etc. I guess we all have different needs/expectations from a mobile phone but this is perfect for me as I too have my own digital camera so am not expecting this to take serious pictures.
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Reviewed by Jayanne from Berkshire on 1st Mar 2006
Hi Andy Yes unfortunately I have removed that. I have no idea what it is will the screen. Would be happy to know of any cleanin tips anyone has. I am still thrilled with phone, and am still finding new features after two months.
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Reviewed by anke from gibraltar on 1st Mar 2006
bought the phone about 2 month ago and i'm not impressed. keeps switching itself off.freezes and cuts off while on the phone.my husband now told me to look for a new phone because he can never get hold of me due to the phone freezing all the time.and yes u can not see nothing on the screen when the sun shines.
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Reviewed by jim from manchester on 28th Feb 2006
dis fone is o.k. cause da mp3's o.k. and da camer's just o.k. everytin about dis fone is just o.k.
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Reviewed by Sae from South Korea on 26th Feb 2006
I love this cellular phone! It's compact and tiny (although it could do without that holder at the top), and it's easy to bring around anywhere. The camera's only VGA but that's all right - considering its price, this phone gives GREAT value. It's really easy to use (for someone who's been using Samsung all her life, switching brands seemed hard but not with this phone!) and it's got everything to keep you entertained as a cellular phone. Texting and calling are very easy to do and although it's only got 16MB of memory, it doesn't really matter since I have a digital camera and an Mp3 player anyway. A cellular phone should be mainly used for calling and texting - everything else is just a bonus. I recommend this phone to everyone - even guys! It's cute, but it doesn't look feminine if you display it correctly. ^_^
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Reviewed by Andy from England on 25th Feb 2006
Jayanne.... Have you peeled off the plastic film bit on the inside screen.. I thought mine was scratched like yours and then realised it was the plastic film that was scratched. P.S. sold my phone now.. changed it for a D500.. Still was an excellent phone though, just not for me.. Andy
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Reviewed by Steph from UK on 22nd Feb 2006
The reason why I rated this phone as average is because (even though do love all the features on it and I really like the look of it) I was so dissapointed when after having it for less than a month the screen fell off! By the looks of things it had only been stuck on with a bit of tape in the first place. I sent it back to Sony Ericsson who apparently fixed it, only to find that 2 days later (yes ONLY 2 days!) it fell off yet again. Its now being fixed for the second time around and I hope it stays, apart from that it's a great phone with all the features you need on it!
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Reviewed by Jayanne from Berkshire on 21st Feb 2006
I've had this phone since January and it is amazing. Great battery power and no problems at all. Good games and good video and camera. Only problem I have is screen seems to be scratched, this appeared after two days and no way possible for it to have happened as I always keep it closed so a bit confused. Otherwise is great, even though I can't yet download videos from Dancingonice.com as it says handset isn't compatiable! Grrrrrrr.
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Reviewed by johny from kosovo on 21st Feb 2006
i think this phone is so poor cause this phone is soo bad to use DONT BUY IT
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Reviewed by ste from england on 21st Feb 2006
i would advise u not to get this phone it jams up to dear for what it is not enough good features so dont buy it!
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Reviewed by Lolly from UK on 21st Feb 2006
I am very dissapointed with the phone coz it has a very small memory. If they are going to make a phone with bluetooth and mp3 etc they should provide plenty of memory! Otherwise seems like a good phone.
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Reviewed by Leanne from England on 19th Feb 2006
This phopne is amazing!! Especially in pink! it has Bluetooth and video!! How perfect! It reminds me of Reece Witherspoon for some strange reason.. Anyway get 1 of these phone AMAZING!
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Reviewed by Shardonnay from UK on 18th Feb 2006
Ooooh! Lovely phone! This is a nice change from my K500i. It has some great features, great to use, looks stylish! The keypad is awesome. Oooh and little lights at the side. Honestly, you should buy this phone. The camera quality is great - I sent a picture from it to my computer through the email function the picture quality is AMAZING. I've had it for a few weeks and had no problems so far...it doesn't feel like a 'flimsy' phone. My only complaint would be of the random photos it takes whilst in my bag because of the camera button at the side! Other than that this phone is fabulous.
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Reviewed by jordan from england on 16th Feb 2006
it looks good it is good its a good buy buy it now its the best mobile i've ever had better than the D600 i think lol!
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Reviewed by Andy from UK on 16th Feb 2006
Neat compact phone, mine came in white but is still unmarked. Has a quality feel to it, easy to navigate around the menu's. The one I got is on O2 and came with a free Bluetooth headset which was a bonus. So far no complaints whatsoever. Just remember it is a phone, cameras and everything else are add on's. However it does what it says on the box and unlike the W550i, which I originally ordered and only lasted 8 hours, it does what it is supposed to do and well
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Reviewed by Laura Cooper from England on 15th Feb 2006
This phone is ok but the memory is small for such a flabbergasting phone. The range of coloured covers are very appealing. The preloded games are addictive. Keep up the good work sony.
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Reviewed by ting tong from thailand on 12th Jan 2006
They are great and the pink colour what i have got is so cool i have always wanted a pink phone with bluetooth and then this one came out oys exelent and the pink one is only £109.00 get 1!!
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Sony Ericsson Z520i links