Sony Ericsson W980

Introduction:
‘I want a phone which I can listen to music by without compromise!’ - if this thought keeps running in your head, then look here before you go shopping. W980 is one of the latest models in Sony Ericsson’s Walkman series and may just be the perfect fit for you. It belongs to the high class and is Sony’s first device with an FM transmitter, by which you can play music on radio-receivers near you. Like the W960 before it, the W980 offers 8 GB of internal memory.



Design:
The overall appearance of the W980 is quite atypical compared to other Sony offerings. Taking the role of fashion experts of Armani and Ferre’s rank (we are joking), we define it as a combination of retro elements and extravagant charm. We last saw it in the budgeted Z555 which is also made of plastic like this one. However, the material here gives a cheap feel; unbecoming for a high-class phone.




Performance:
Sony Ericsson W980 does not work as fast as some of the Symbian smart-phones, but we are happy that there are no annoying delays when browsing the menus.The sound quality when talking disappointed us. The voice we hear is very unrealistic, robotized and monotonous, accompanied by unpleasant crackling all the time. As a whole, you will have problems with the understanding and you will have to ask to have things repeated even several times. The opposite situation is much better. The sound is monotonous and quite sharp, but is realistic and strong. We are disappointed because understanding what you hear with great difficulties while you are being heard well makes no sense at all.




Conclusion:
Our first experience with W980 impressed us in an unexpected way maybe because most of the time we used headphones while listening to the music. The next day revealed the naked truth. The Walkman is a high class phone but it somehow does not match up with its price. Its materials give the ‘cheap’ feel and the single-hand opening could turn into a real struggle. In addition, the calling could be described as an unpleasant experience and the speakers are even worse than the ones you’d find in a low-end music phone.