Sony Ericsson W980 Review
Sony Ericsson W980 is absolutely music!
3GWeek had covered the launched of this W980 series on February 11, 2008 by our editor Amir Karimuddin. But now, since it’ll be available soon in July or September on your SE local stores, I think it is better for me to make a review for it. Absolutely! Cause this one is different ….
When we talk about music phone, W series from Sony Ericsson must be at the top ten chart if it is not the best one. Cool design with a complete features and new technology is SE’s perfect weapon to serve customers, especially young generation for such a music mobile phone.
SE newest Walkman phone, W980 series perhaps is a good example to proof this mantra. The design, features, and technology that comes with this black-red clamshell is worth enough to make you spend some money from your bank account. But before you had gone through your local bank, let’s take a look inside first.
Design
This clamshell W980 comes with a mix of black and red. Though I occasionally said that a clamshell is a designed-for-ladies handset, I would dare to convince myself and you that this one will perfect for gentleman too. Even for myself. Yeah.
Black …… what a knight?
Storage
For music mobile phone, an 8 GB internal memory is pretty cool. If not storing about 7500 audio files, perhaps this will fit for 6000 songs you have. Depends on what kind of songs and format your audio files is. In case when you want to store more files into this 3G handset, you have a chance to upgrade that 8 GB with the new one. Sounds very interesting …
Internet
This W Series is not a mediocre 3G. Powered with 3,6 Mbit/s transfer rate HSDPA technology, W980 will makes browsing run seamlessly. Video call, multimedia messages, email or even audio and video streaming from Odeo and YouTube have never been so easy to engage with.
When it comes to surf and enjoy the web, you can count this Symbian 60 agent on its NetFront web browser and RSS feed reader. NetFront for S60 includes unique technologies like Smart-Fit Rendering™, which intelligently adapts standard Web pages to the screen width of a S60 phone and eliminates the need for horizontal scrolling.
For daily blogger out there, you gonna love this gizmo since it will help you to upload your post with picture easily.
Image and Display
With 240 x 320 pixel and 262.144 color TFT, your eyes will be happy to watch this one. For shadow-catcher lover, W980 comes with 3,2 MP camera plus a special X-Pict story mode that let you enjoy all pictures in a slide view complete with a sound and transition.
For picture editing, there is a software called Photo Fix that could help you in optimizing and adjusting light and contrast after a picture had been taken.
Music
On music, W980 is certainly the absolute gadget at its own. As a Walkman series, W980 has every features and technology other W series has. Let’s see one by one!
- Shake control: switching your songs with an easy shake.
- SenseMe: allow you to create playlist base on temp and mood.
- Radio FM with RDS: listen to the radio stations with data on the current show.
- TrackID: let you know a song’s information by sending it to Gracenote Mobile MusicID.
- Transmitter FM: do not enjoy your music alone, broadcast it with transmitter FM
- Bluetooth stereo A2DP: forget those string, you can listen your audio files wireless. perfect when you are riding a bike or jogging
- PlayNow: download music and games directly on the web into the 8 GB storage
What else do I missed here? Perhaps a number of features and specs will help you before you decide to buy it on your local stores.
- Size: 92.0 x 46.0 x 17.0 mm
- 3.6 x 1.8 x 0.7 inch
- Weight: 100.0 gr 3.5 oz
- Available color: Piano Black
- Display: 240×320 pixel 262.144 color TFT
- Memory: Phone memory 8 GB
- Network: GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900, EDGE, UMTS 2100, HSDPA
- Browser: NetFront, WAP, WAP 1.2.1
- Messages: SMS, MMS, Online chat, Predictive input text
- Organizer: task list, calendar, alarm, flight mode, timer, stop watch
- More specs on Unofficial SE blog
- See the accessories on SE W980 official website
Price
According to my own experience with another previous Sony Ericsson W Series, I want to guess that this one will come with less than US$600 in price tag. That’s worth enough for this one.
Hmmm, wish I can hand it next month. It will be a great moment then.
Source: Sony Ericsson W980 Series | Unofficial SE blog
Image courtesy of Unofficial SE blog
May 27th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
I think the price tag won’t exceed US$ 400
May 28th, 2008 at 5:12 am
That will be even much better for our reader and SE fans out there. Thanks for your comment Mr. Amir.
Anyway, your post on Kyocera and Motorola had outstep my carnaval post. This is pretty rare to be happened in a couple of weeks ago.
I need to learn a lot from you ….
May 28th, 2008 at 7:57 am
symbian s60? so SE is abandoning UIQ? I haven’t read about symbian news for quite sometimes. Is there any info on this?
May 28th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I try to find other sources, seems like W980 is still using native Walkman UI. No further information that SE will use S60 for this phone
May 28th, 2008 at 10:32 am
@Wim
It is a killer topic, not because I the one who wrote it.. It’s just my luck
May 28th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Dear Aldi thanks for your question. Actually, even SE itself has not been announced the OS of this W980. However, I will assume it will use the S60 since it will comes with NetFront Browser. According to Netfront official website, this software is being developed to work on S60 platform. Not on UIQ.
Check the press release by SE here;
W980 Series
and NetFront website here:
NetFront Web browser
May 28th, 2008 at 10:35 am
@ Amir. You got the same answer too.
May 28th, 2008 at 10:51 am
@amir & @wim,
thank you for the information
May 30th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
@ Aldi your welcome …..
July 21st, 2008 at 1:28 pm
wooowww am so happy to know tht this mobile phone is coming out , i,ve been waiting for amonth n month for this phone , am big fan of SE been checking SE website almost everyday n try to get new phone n finally once i knw w980 gosh am in love wth it,i will rush back to indonesia soon he he eh he as i thnk in indonesia the prices bit lower compare in here , thnks for the information… SE u rock…. keep it up
August 11th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
@ Yunita, we will miss u so much, don’t forget oleh-olehny aya
September 1st, 2008 at 11:42 am
I NEED FILMS SO, WHAT video file TYPES will transfer straight to the video folder (on my w980) and are watchable, without being decoded with SE media manager? AS THINGS SUCH AS AXXO FILMS I HAVE TRIED PUTTIN ON THERE ARE NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE PHONE, AND THEREFORE, WILL NOT PLAY
September 1st, 2008 at 2:43 pm
@Dimzit18, wow great question. Now since I didn’t hand on this cellphone. I suggest you to open CNet.com and get dingging through its database about this handset.
Later if you still can’t find what you really want. Try to ask somebody there using contact us option. They’re willing to help you.
Cnet UK has an answer for you I guess. Check it out via Google. They are #4 there. Unfortunately we are #1. lol.
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:01 am
heyyyy
does anyone no if this is going to coming out in a diffrent color than balck????
xxx
September 12th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
i have asked cnet my question and have had no REPLY so again,,,,,I NEED FILMS SO, WHAT video file TYPES will transfer straight to the video folder (on my w980) and are watchable, without being decoded with SE media manager? AS THINGS SUCH AS AXXO FILMS I HAVE TRIED PUTTIN ON THERE ARE NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE PHONE, AND THEREFORE, WILL NOT PLAY
September 13th, 2008 at 8:03 am
@Dimzit18
I believe only MPEG4-like version that is playable in W980. The files include 3gp and mp4 extension. Seems like doesn’t support DivX (or XViD) filetype collection.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:54 am
Just a quick question. I’ve just upgraded to one of these and I’m very pleased with it. The only downfall with this handset compared to other Sony Ericssons I’ve had, is that although I can store my multimedia files in my own designated folders in the PC Suite, they do not appear on the phone i.e. all my music\videos\pictures are all grouped together. Does anyone know why, or even better, have a way round this? Thanks.
October 12th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
i buy a w980 yesterday.. and one problem why i tranfers video to phone.. and it no inside the phone? why?