Sony Ericsson W950
October 24, 2006
Sony Ericsson is seriously going in for MP3 mobiles. They are doing it with the two walkman models W850 and W950. At the first glance the W950 looks like a business mobile à la Sony Ericssons M600, but this model is first and foremost adjusted to playing music.
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Positive and negative
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Positive
Hot design
Good synchronization
Music player
FM radio
Negative
Grease stains on the screen
Semi-tricky navigation
No camera
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Alternatives
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As far as music mobiles of similar design go, there are no alternatives, but both Samsung and Nokia have, with their i300 and N91 respectively, mobile phones with lots of GBytes under the hood. And in addition they are equipped with cameras.
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Before you buy
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Credits to Sony Ericsson for trying a new design, even if it is not entirely problem-free. It is also an excellent phone for business people, but be aware that it does not qualify into the ”tiny and chic” category.
Also try to remember that it lacks a camera.
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The first impression of the W950 is that it is a sturdy piece, and impression that remains over time. It is namely both quite wide and thick. Needless to say, it is a question about taste, but personally I feel a bit sated with all the super thin mobiles having spread out through the market as a fire on the praire. The super slim format often leads to feature set compromises.
Very good screen
I always appreciate a big screen and the W950 satisfies this need. In addition, it is touch sensitive. It gives a mixed impression, since the screen is easily filled with greasy finger prints when calling or navigating while not using the pen for the intended purpose. It is simply not efficient enough to always use the pen, it takes too much time. (LG includes a small anti-grease brush for one of its coming phone, perhaps something for SE to evaluate). The pen is hidden on the left side, on the back of the phone.
As an alternative, it is possible to navigate the menus by using the scroll wheel on the left side. But it is a bit sluggish. Just below the scroll wheel there is a rather practical back button. When pressed down for a couple of seconds, it takes you back to the main menu.
A balancing act
As already mentioned, the screen is really good, not least since it is so big. It makes it easy to surf the net and to show images. Unfortunately it also means accepting a certain compromise with the buttons. They are placed far down, lower than on the M600. So one does end up in a kind of balancing act when trying to use the phone with one hand only.
Apaet from that, the buttons are integrated in the shell, and they almost feel like part of a touch sensitive surface. They completely aligned with the rubberish surface. But they are not at all as good as on the LG Chocolate. The W950 buttons need a real punch, but it works very well, and the surface is comfortable to push. It is a good idea that is well executed.
There is a small Walkman logo next to the number keys. When pushed, it takes you to the music player. Just above are the play, forward and backward buttons. They are almost completely invisible and only shine slightly. It is easy to get a good overview when navigating thanks to the screen.
Music plays
If the usability of the buttons leaves a bit to be asked for, there is hardly anything to object to regarding the music - it is the absolute strength of the W950. It is not possible to increase the memory size with a memory card, but the 4 Gbyte available is quite enough anyway. Contributing to that fact is there is special no need to store photos - there is no camera. Downloaded images, however, are stored in the internal memory.
All files can be dragged and dropped via the USB cable. There is no need to use Sony Ericsson's PC software to do it. That is a good thing, since it works much more intuitive this way.
The transfer is done via USV 2.0, so transfering 10-12 CDs fast is no problem.
The music is sorted by artist, album, song title and playlists. Below each category is indicated how many songs it currently holds, and the songs are listed in alphabetic order in each folder. It is very easy to add either an artist, an album or a number to a playlist. Just choose ”more” on the bottom right, and then ”add in...” and then choose if a playlist should be updated or if a new one should be created. The music player in the W950 is superb.
In-ear earphones
If you are using regular earphones, Sony Ericsson have chosen a good solution. They use a cord with a special connection to the phone in one end, and a regular earphone plug in the other. This way you can use your own earphones if you do not want to use the excellent included ones, which are of in-ear type. However, they can not be recommended for use while driving, since they shut out too much of the background sound. For instance, they make it much harder to hear when someone is honking at you. But they are brilliant for listeing music on the subway.
Also for the business people
With its excellent screen and 3G support, the W950 works not only as an entertainment mobil, but it can also be used to surf the net and read e-mail. It is fast, and the big screen enhances the experience one notch further. Also, an extra small plus for the RSS function, allowing for web headline fetching. It is a smooth way to keep updated with the latest news. With Symbian 9.1 operating system and UIQ 3.0 user interface platform, there are a number of useful programs available for downloading. This makes it suitable as a business mobile. That is also stressed by the fact that the phone lacks a a camera. A fact that could discourage kids from buying this music mobile.
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Sony Ericsson W950
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Sony Ericsson W950
• Type: 3G / tri-band GSM 900, 1800, 1900 Mhz.
• Weight: 112 g.
• Size: 106 x 54 x 15 mm
• Standby time: 340 hours
• Talk time: 7.5 hours
• Wap: Wap 2.0
• Internet- and data functions: 3G, GPRS class 10, e-mail, Bluetooth, IR, web browser.
• PC/Mac connection: Yes, connection to PC via Bluetooth, IR or the included USB-cable
• Ring tones: Polyphonic, MP3
• Phone book: Name, multiple numbers, e-mail address, home page, pager, title
• Screen: TFT touch screen, 240x320 pixels, 262,000 colours
• Games: Solitaire och Bubble Breaker included. Additional Java games can be downloaded.
• Camera: No.
• Other features: 4 GByte memory, MP3 player, FM radio, RSS, speakers, stereo bluetooth
• Java, 3D games, predictive T9-dictionary, MMS, e-mail, calendar, voice control, video, file management, alarm, synchronization.
• Accessories: Stereo headset, data cable and charger included.
• Price: Approximately 425 euro.
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Grade
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Scores
Telefoni och data 8
Multimedia 8
System och program 9
Användarvänlighet 7
Prestanda och minne 8
Overall grade 80%
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By:
Steen Jørgensen, Jonas Kämpe
