June 08
The Hypnotic Black (with metalic purple
accents - very sexy!) is exclusive to Vodafone!
Due to be launched mid-July.
With a hundred and one mobile phones available to choose from each new model has to have something to make it stand out, and I was really interested to see what the new W350i had to separate it from the crowd.
The model I received to test is the 'Hypnotic Black' shortly to be available on Vodaphone. Sleek black with metallic purple accents the phone certainly looks stylish, and at just 10.4x4.3x1.1cm and weighing in at 75g it's small, slim and beautifully lightweight. It comes with the standard extras: software CD, stereo headset, usb cable & charger. Sony Ericsson have stuck with a specialised connecter on the phone, rather than moving to standard USB which is bit of a shame, as it would be nice to see all manufacturers standardising on this.
The handset features a flip front, with the keypad hidden behind the flap, and a 176x220 pixel screen. The buttons feel nice, but i found them a little small for my fingers, my text speed definitely decreased with this phone.
Standard phone functionality, worked fine though, all exactly as expected. No surprises there, but certainly no disappointments. And with the supplied suite of software you get full synchronisation, with your computer, and the usual diary, organiser and backup functionality. Internet access (depending on your provider & plan) worked great, but the screen whilst ok for WAP access to Vodafone's own content, was a little too small for any extended surfing.
The camera, at only 1.3megapixels is a lot lower spec than the majority that are coming out now, but if you only want it for spur of the moment snapshots; it's certainly more than up for the job. There's also a very nifty 'burst' mode, which takes 4 shots in quick succession, plus the standard settings for black&white or sepia effects. No sign of an option to record video though, which was something of a disappointment.
A built in sound recorder, and built in MusicDJ software, where you can make your own tunes, offer some variety from the standard alert and ring tones.
TrackID is a really smart piece of software, record a small snippet of a track you can hear playing, say in a bar, and it will connect up to the internet, analyse the track and send you back the Artist, Track name, and Album details if they're registered. I tried it with around a dozen random tracks off the radio, ranging from the 60's to the 00's and it found every one! Excellent, never again will you need to be stuck thinking 'I know this, what is it!'. Watch out pub quiz-masters, this could be a nifty cheat!
The media player, and more importantly the Walkman functions are where the W350i really comes into its own though. The supplied media manager software makes short work of file transfer between computer and phone, with a straightforward drag and drop interface. There's also an easy-rip function, which allows CD-phone transfer without having to save everything onto your computer en-route. With 14MB of on board phone memory, and an M2 memory card slot available, there's certainly no shortage of storage for your tracks!
The walkman is great, sound quality in playback is excellent even through the basic headset supplied (or without it if you must). Media management allows you to set up play lists, set random or looping play and scroll through to find the song you're looking for. Standard playback functions are accessed either through the menu, or rather neatly from the front of the closed front flap, which means you can use it quickly and simply on the move. There's also a slide lock on the top which cuts out the front buttons, which should prevent you setting it off in the bottom of your handbag!
Overall I was quite taken with the phone itself, it looked smart and felt good to use. Functionality wise, I prefer a larger screen and a more featured camera, but if music on the move is high on your requirements list this could well be worth a look. I certainly know one or two people I'll be recommending it to.