By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net
SONY Ericsson definitely made some improvements in the design of its latest Walkman phone but what caught me outright was its sort of rugged styling. Or maybe because the review unit they gave us was army green in color, which deviates a bit from the candy-color of previous Walkman phones.
The quad-band W902 is a bit bigger than previous Walkman phones (the W880, for example). It has a slightly bigger 2.2-inch screen but is definitely thicker. At around 100 grams, it weighs good enough for a steadier grip than the W880.
Music and camera controls are conveniently located in the right side of the phone, and since the W902 is thicker, it feels more stable to fiddle around the buttons with your thumb.
It also makes taking pictures (or recording video) a bit more stable when you tilt the phone to its side. Those with less nimble fingers, however, may still find it cumbersome and like what I experienced with the W880, it’s more convenient to just press the center button when takings pictures.
Also, unlike the other side which has a smoother finish, notice the criss-cross pattern on this side. I’m not sure whether this is on purpose, whether it’s meant to make one’s grip more stable when using the camera.
As mentioned, the other side has a smoother finish, but nothing smooth about Sony Ericsson insisting on its proprietary earphone jack, unlike most smart phones that have standard 3.5mm slots.
The W902, though, comes bundled with an adapter cable in which you can either connect the supplied earphones or any other standard earphones.
In short, this phone isn’t too earphone-friendly. If you must insist on using your favorite earphones (like the one you probably use on your iPod), you have to live with another dangling cable. Not pretty.
The sound quality, though, is excellent like previous Walkman phones.
What’s not too hate, though, is the pixel boost: the W902 comes with a 5-megapixel camera (with autofocus) that takes better pictures than previous Walkman phones. It also has an LED light. Overall, not bad for a non-Cybershot model.
The top button can be easily confused for an on/off button. It’s actually a shortcut when you want to play music.
Speaking of, the W902’s speaker (the sound comes from that small circle near the base) plays decently without the earphones.
The buttons in the keypad are spaced just enough to type SMS comfortably. The call/clear/erase buttons are conveniently located in those three circles in the middle.
Overall, save for the 5-megapixel camera, there is not much innovation in terms of function. Avid Walkman phone users, however, may welcome the W902’s design. Suggested retail price is P25,000 and this comes bundled with an 8GB memory stick with USB adapter.
Purchase of any Sony Ericsson Walkman model from now until Dec 15 entitles the buyer to a free Eraserheads: The Reunion concert CD. The CD will be initially available only through this Sony
Ericsson-Sony BMG partnership. Other fans will have to wait awhile for the album’s commercial release.
4 Feedbacks on "First Look: Sony Ericsson w902"
ken
Wow. Nice but a bit steep. What can 25,000 buy? An IPOD I touch 32 gb or an MSI WInd. SE I think is out of touch with us consumers by insisting on selling their products at such a high price when there are so many cheaper products that can do the job better. No 3.5 mm jack is even worse and use of the hellishly expensive M2 card makes this a no-brainer.
Josh
Bought this phone, its great!
If you want to see this phone in action:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ELDPmUKH34Q
alanis
bought this phone when it was first released in october.. i was excited bacause i’ve been dreamin about it since it was posted coming soon on the SE website..1st week was fun but after a week i realized that the housing is not as solid as it looks and an accidental 2ft. drop can easily damage the device. compared to my classic w810i which i can say have a much solid housing than the w902.. the back cover is not pretty solid as well and can easily be loosen since it doesnt have much support to locked it. compared to other SE phone models which i think have a much solid back cover. other than that, nothing more except for NO WIFI!!! for you guys who wants to buy this… my advice is.. think first…
alanis
bought this phone when it was first release in october..
all i can say is that the housing (front/back cover) is not as solid as it looks.. an accidental 2ft drop can damage the device easily.. compared to the classic w810i..(w810 is solid!)
back cover can loose up probably a month or two since not enough lock to support the back cover and make it in tact. (so be carefull on swapping SIM cards)
NO WIFI!!! for 25 grand and still no wifi?
c’mon SE people!!
My Rating:
***
3 stars (fair)
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