* Sony Ericsson * (Sony Ericsson W705)

Member Name: pixie1965

Product:	Sony Ericsson W705
Date:	22/04/09 (401 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to use

Disadvantages: none

There's a new phone on the block !
I have had my last phone for some time now and have been really happy with it. I didn't think anything could replace the easy to use features of it. However, last week the phone froze. I think my Granddaughter sucking it might have had something to do with it.

My contract only had 6 weeks to go so after phoning Orange and trying several things to get it going, there were still several problems with it. I could get into the contacts and managed to save them onto the SIM. However, texting and taking photos was a no-no. Orange gave me several options one of them being an early up-grade, which was £10 a month cheaper and had the same free texts and minutes. I was given a choice of 3 phones.
Before jumping in I decided to go on-line and check them out...
And the winner is ........ The Sony Ericsson W705 >>>> round of applause!

***** Why ? ****
This slide phone was very similar to my little black life line of before, but with bigger and better features. I really loved the slide feature and camera positioning of this newer model. Because of the Bank hols I had to wait until Tuesday for delivery. However, I had only ordered this on Thursday so I didn't have to wait long.

***** What's included in the package ****
The small black box arrived lunchtime as promised and this is what was included:
* The sleekly, silver phone with built in walkman - this phone also comes with 3.2 megapixel camera, FM radio, A 262K Colour TFT display and because I'm on an Orange contract - Orange Music & Orange HD live TV and 4GB memory card.
* Battery - which was really easy to fit - put you're SIM card in 1st though!!
* SIM card - that needs to be registered even if your keeping your number.
* Charger - wall charger that slots into the top, left side of phone with ease and has additional socket space I will explain about later.
* Stereo handset - that has fittings that can be used while phone charging.
* Radio receiver - that headphones plug into and into phone.
* USB cable - to connect phone to PC direct.
* Application CD. - ( PC- suite media manager)
* User guide - Which was really well set out, with every thing you need from getting started to detailed information on each feature of the phone.

If you are an Orange user they will also send you information about the Orange Music store, downloads, games, transferring numbers, magic numbers and Orange World. You also receive a booklet about how you can used your phone to obtain cinema tickets 2 for 1, broadband, calling from aboard and sports results.
After setting my phone up and putting it on charge (which was so easy my gran could've done it ) I called Orange and registered the SIM, my old number was transferred within an hour and I was up and running.

****The Phone****
The phone was smaller and felt slightly lighter than my old one, at 108grams it was actually 10g heavier, but didn't feel it. Its length it a tidy 9.5cm, width 4.5 cm & diameter 1.5 cm. Its silver front has a screen 4 x 5cm that gives the clearest pictures and images. The selection control keys under the screen consist of 1 middle circle that it's the navigation control. The 2 adjoining keys are : (left key) call key & multitasking key, (right key) end call, on/off & clear button. At the top of the front cover the ear speaker, screen light sensor & video - call camera is situated.

This elegant cover slides smoothly upwards to reveal the key pad underneath that light up immediately. The keys are very smooth to touch and at first I though far too close together. However, they are separated by small gold discs that seem to recognise which number / letter you are pressing. So all you big fingered men take heed and don't worry.
To compliment the sleek smooth finish of the front of this phone, the back is finished in a black, soft rubbery material that is very smooth to touch but helps you grip the handset. The whole of the back pulls up after you release the small unlock button at the bottom of the phone. At first I was a bit wary that I might break it but it is sturdy as well as flexible. This case also contains the main camera lens and flash.

The camera button is positioned on the lower right side with the volume controls at the top.
The charger socket point is on opposite upper left side of the phone.

**** The Phone Features included ****
Wow - how many features !!!! Many of them are similar to me old phone, which is great so I won't spend another 2 weeks working out how everything works.
One feature I do like is the added socket one the charger. If you are charging your phone and want to listen to music you can plug the charger in and then plug the headphone leads into the charger. This is due to the design of the charger. It has a double-sided socket that plugs into your phone - Genius!

**** The camera ****
I was really impressed with the camera on this phone. This 3.2 megapixel camera can take photos and record videos instantly. The quality is crisp and clear. Both aspects have a zoom feature to help obtain a more detailed / focused image. When viewing photos they appear quickly and moving between images it fast. The camera also has a photo fix feature that help improve your pictures. By using the CD you can also use the Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition to transfer and edit photos and videos on your PC. This is very easy to do by using the USB lead straight from you phone to your computer.

****Calling & Texting****
Calling is just like most modern mobiles. Contacts can be stored on both SIM & Memory card - transferring numbers between either is really easy to do and details can be found in the user manual. One feature I have found really useful on this phone is the prompt of contacts that display as you're typing in a number. If you can't be bothered to go into your address book you can start tapping in the first few numbers of your contact, if you know them, and all the numbers in your address book starting with these will be displayed onscreen, you can then scroll down to your desired contact.

There is one aspects of video calling that many cause frustration - both parties need to be in video calling coverage areas. But this is a standard feature of many phones.
Texting is just as easy, there is the option for predicted text if you can use it - that feature always frustrates me so looking up how to get rid of it was one of the first things I set in place. There are several options for sending messages such as email, MMS and orange mail for orange users.

When texting you can also attached photos, smiley faces / icons, videos and sounds, which really bring your messages to life with a personal touch. If sending to several people the 'mark several' option is easy to use.

**** Music / sounds & Walkman ****
The music options available on this Sony W705 is vast. They include:
* Stereo portable handsfree
* Walkman player
* Track ID
* Online music & video clips
* Video player
* FM Radio
* Music DJ
* And recording sounds of your own

If I went into detail with each one of these features I would bore you to tears.
The walkman is a great feature on any phone and I am in the process of building my own playlist and transferring them onto my phone.
I have also been able to transfer music via the Bluetooth feature. This is the quickest and cheapest way on downloading music onto your phone.
**** Other extras new to me ****

WOOHOO - I have free Wi-Fi that I can connect to my wireless broadband at home and if in public places that have this feature can check my ebay account ( that I've stored into my favourites on the phone) e mail accounts and generally surf the net. This feature is new for me and I am still getting use to how to use it but have done the above within a few hours of playing with my new toy. So it is easy - believe it or not - it is!
**** Other features not mentioned so far ****

When setting up your phone you have the option to set up quick shortcuts to access the following features;
* Calendar
* Address book
* Call history
* Messaging / texting
* Walkman / music
* Orange World
There is also a built in accelerometer - this is the device that senses the movement of the phone and will turn pictures and images to the direction of the handset.

****Battery****
The phone takes about 2.5 hours to charge fully and can last up to 9 hours, depending on what you are doing with the phone.

****My final thoughts****
To sum up I absolutely love this new additional to my life - although I haven't named every feature of this little silver beauty I hope that what I have reviewed so far will give you a good insight into this product.
Its elegant silver top and striking black underbelly makes it attractive. Its vast features make it an efficient piece of modern technology.
I really recommend this product.

Thanks for reading
X hev
Also on dooyoo

Summary: great easy to use phone

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