We are watching the replacements (Sony Ericsson W610i)

Member Name: iamasadlittleboy

Product:	Sony Ericsson W610i
Date:	20/02/08 (102 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: M2 slot, cheapish, reliable

Disadvantages: Out of date slightly

So if you've read my review about the unreliable, easily broken W910i, you may be wondering why I went for another W class Sony Ericsson. Well Sony's on the whole seem well made, and I was blaming the the phone style (a slider) for the easy damage. This sort of a decision wasn't made easily for £80, but I swollowed it, through gritted teeth after spending the previous 4 hours going from phone shop to phone trying to pick the best one for me.

After twice going into "The Link" and getting told "The only phone that really does all you want is this, a W200i, and look it comes in an elegant pink case, has a camera and is on Orange, the best network". I decided I'd stay the hell away from it, if for no other reason that a poor camera no memory function.
The idea I had in my mind was it had to have memory card slots for an M2, it had to have a Camera (2MP or better) and was preferably a Sony or a Samsung (due to me being familar with the interfaces of both, and being a stubborn bastard in my now well known "old age"). So finally popping into a Vodafone store, and had a genuinely interested and helpful sales assistant show me the offers, talk me through them etc. What was different about this bloke is he didn't push me towards a specific phone, he didn't try to hide any of the phones downfalls, and he didn't try to hide the "hidden costs" (I.e. "This phone must be bought with a £10 top up, upon purchase"). So for this I would like to thank the Vodafone company for training your staff to do, what we, as customers want them to.

Anyway, back to the phone, with a classical candy bar shape to it, which always strikes me as being tougher, more durable than either of the sliders or flips (and now I come to think of it them stupid "twisters"). The buttons are organised like I was pretty used to, with the "play2 button on the left, volume on the right and off button on the top, a typical (if slightly poor) camera on the back.
Despite not screaming "I'm quality mate, come 'ave me", it did state it's purpose, fall nicely into my specifications (Camera, M2 slot) and could be topped up at £5 a shot as opposed to £10. Oh and it came with free speakers (which I've yet to use as they've been banged in the loft since I got the phone).

So whats it like to use, admittedly I've not used it as (a phone) as much as I would have perhaps liked, in the month or so that I have had it, though I have more than made use of it as an all round peice of kit, mainly due to it now being my Camera and my MP3 player. Sure mock me for this, using a sub-par phone as an entry level 1GB (the size of the memory card I already had) MP3 player and a Digi cam that couldn't take a dark shot to save it's erm...life?O_o But thats not the point, I don't generally use phones unless theirs someone I want to contact, as I'm an antisocial old bugger, theirs very few times I want to contact people.
Now as we all know with the phone industry mobiles move on a lot, and fast, well this phone shows it better than most. Originally available from 2007 the phone has dated (it's still a decent pit of kit, don't get me wrong). With no video-calling and a really low grade camera, that wouldn't even be seen on newer devices, but this is why the phone's available from £80 or so, rather than £140. What the phone is, is a testament to the fact you don't need to be upto date and pay over the odds for a reliable phone. It may be nothing special, but it knows what it's doing, and it does everything it does solidyly enough for me, what more can a customer ask?

Also Vodafone (yeah I'm starting to sound like a salesman) seemed to have done what Orange and O2 failed, I can actually get a perfect signal anywhere in my house. I don't need to find just that place when texting my ex to tell her what a cow she was, I can just whip out, go "Oi amy, your a bitch", and wait for the equally eloquent and witty retort. Oh how I laugh at such childness, except when I'm the one doing it.

BTW unlike the picture on here, mine came in a black-orange sexy little number, opposed to the silver and black shown, I'm not sure if other variations are currently available.

Summary: A decent phone, but don't expect the standard to match that of a new device

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