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21 December 2007
By: Cosmin Vasile, Communications News Editor
Sony Ericsson W960i Review
The best Walkman smartphone
Sony Ericsson, one of the most important handsets manufacturers, is also one of the fewest
that managed to educate its fans and teach them how to choose their future mobile phones.
From this point of view, things are much easier for the Japanese-Swedish company, who
made it clear for its consumers that it won't mix high quality music features with top-notch
camera modules and latest business applications into only one handset.
Only a smart marketing politic can sell 'incomplete' products like those branded Sony
Ericsson. So, what should you expect when buying a Walkman series handset? Well,
there's one thing that you can be sure of – it will blow your ears. It should be branded as
"Most wanted" for music freaks, because of the multimedia features that it offers. On the
under hand, those that are that are looking for devices that can take high-quality snapshots
will be more attached to the Cybershot series. An important segment of consumers –
businessmen will also be able to choose from a wide range of smartphones, especially
created to improve functionality on the go. The latter series of smartphones registered a
little setback once the P1i has been launched on the market.
Even if it had all the features specific to a high-end device, the lack of speed and strange
flaws in the Wi-Fi chipset made it almost a total fiasco. How did Sony Ericsson pull it out in
the end? I guess the answer to this question is standing right in front of me and it's called
W960i. The next Walkman series handset that has been 'stuffed' with Symbian UIQ and
Wi-Fi, just to make it a (very) viable solution for businessmen.
Announced in June 2007, Sony Ericsson W960i has been made available on the market in
late November 2007. The smartphone can be acquired for no less than USD 600$, but the
price may rise to almost USD 800$, depending on the location. Both prices place it in the
same range as Sony Ericsson's P1i smartphone, which made me believe that W960i could
be the fortunate replacement for the less successful P1i.
Design
Usually, Walkman series handsets impress through their innovative designs and futuristic
keypad layouts. The standard block design that Sony Ericsson W960i features strengthens
the idea that the target of the smartphone is wider than its name (Walkman) may suggest.
The standard look that doesn't impress too much may be perfect for a businessman. I'm not
saying that it looks dull or ugly, on the contrary, I'm pretty sure that it will attract both sides
through its appealing look and rather stylish form.
The bar handset measures 109 x 55 mm and weighs around 119 grams (battery included).
These numbers are not too much for a smartphone, even if it lacks full QWERTY keyboard.
Instead, Sony Ericsson W960i features a standard keypad, which might seem a little bit
crowded. Keys are wide but there's no space in between them, which might cause a 'lag'
when texting messages. Otherwise there's nothing bad about it, as the compound used for
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