Review of Sony Ericsson W660i – image and music in a fragile box. Review of Sony Ericsson W660i – image and music in a fragile casket Sony Ericsson W660i from all sides
SonyEricsson W660i continues the series started by the SonyEricsson W610i. Everything tells us that this is the older brother of the previous model. Same body features, similar menu, similar capabilities. This model is an evolutionary development of the previous one and, probably, not the last in the Walkman family.
SonyEricsson W660i:: Review:: Design and Features
SonyEricsson W660i is almost identical in appearance to SonyEricsson W610i. This time we came across a model made of black plastic. The differences from the previous model are minimal in appearance. For example, this time the headphone jack is moved downwards and the number keys have become more convenient.
The phone is almost identical in size to the W610i model - 102x46x14.5 mm. Externally, it gives the impression of being thin and quite compact. The device is quite light - 93 g. The manufacturer did not come up with anything new on the front panel. There is a speaker, a camera for video calls, a screen and a numeric keypad, the contents of which are functionally the same as the dialing of the previous model. The only difference, as we already wrote, is appearance and design of numeric keys. In my opinion, the keys have become more convenient to use due to their more distinct size and precise operation. Below the screen there are navigation keys, visually designed in the form of circles, and the side circles seem to be cut off by the edge of the case. Their contents are standard - these are two soft keys, an Activity menu, delete and return keys, and a multifunctional button for quick access and control of the player. Apparently, the manufacturer took into account complaints about the shortcomings of implementing such a key layout in the previous model, because in this one all keystrokes are recorded quite clearly. In addition, there are very few false positives. The numeric keypad is illuminated perfectly - the keys are clearly visible in the dark. In addition, the multifunctional player control button is beautifully illuminated along the circumference with colors smoothly grading into each other.
The device's screen is a two-inch TFT display with a resolution of 176x220 pixels, capable of displaying 262 thousand colors. For a modern mobile phone this is already a little. Although the screen is better than the previous model. Excellent brightness and contrast allow you to comfortably use the phone both in the dark and in bright light.
Various phone controls are distributed quite evenly and reasonably along the side edges of the device. On the left you can see a pause/resume button for playing the current melody, a slot for an M2 memory card (a 512 MB memory card is included in the package). At the top there is a key to turn the phone on/off. On the right is the volume rocker key, which also performs the zooming function when you shoot with the built-in camera (the same key can be used to turn on the backlight when the device is locked). There, on the right, at the bottom, there is a shortcut key for photo/video shooting. It is located quite conveniently - just under your index finger when you take pictures with the camera, turning the phone on its side.
The standard fast-port is located at the bottom of the phone. Let us remember that the fast-port in the previous model was located on the left, which caused unnecessary inconvenience for users. This location (at the bottom) is much more practical - the connected headphones do not interfere with comfortable work with the phone.
The back panel of the phone contains a camera window and a speakerphone. There is no flash or mirror, which is surprising - the previous model had them. The power of the loudspeaker was a pleasant surprise - even on a very noisy street, the melody being played was clearly audible; the sound at maximum does not wheeze and remains clear.
The build quality is good, the plastic body is pleasant to the touch. The phone does not slip in your hands. Nothing creaks or wobbles. The lid over the battery closes tightly and does not loosen. Under the cover there is a Li-Pol battery with a capacity of 950 mAh. Under the battery there is a slot for a SIM card.
Compared to the previous model, the device has become more pleasant in appearance. It has become more convenient to use, which suggests that the manufacturer is attentive to the comments of users of its devices.
SonyEricsson W660i:: Review:: User interface
When you turn on the phone, we can select the operating mode - fly-mode or normal. Fly-mode will allow you to use the device without the ability to make calls. The normal mode provides the full functionality of the phone. The sad thing is that if there is no SIM card inserted, neither one nor the other mode allows you to use the phone as a camera or player - you will only be able to make a call to 112 or watch a demo video of the device. This long-standing SonyEricsson oddity has not been eliminated in this model.
You can customize your phone's interface using pre-installed themes, or create your own using special program for PC. As wallpaper, you can use a photo taken with the built-in camera, or any other picture uploaded to your phone. The top line of the interface traditionally displays the status of the phone: information about the GSM signal level and battery charge, alarm data, GPRS availability, new messages, missed calls. The bottom line is the labels for the context keys. In standby mode, the screen displays the clock and date, the appearance of which can be configured in the menu. When dialing a number, the numbers are large and easy to read. The main menu of the phone is completely identical to the previous model. It contains four rows of three icons each. As in the previous model, the device contains special flash themes that allow you to greatly change the phone’s interface: the background image, and even the style of displaying the main menu icons. There is animation when navigating the menu. You can use vibration when navigating the menu, if provided for by the theme.
Quick menu navigation is possible using the numeric keypad - each menu item has its own number. If the main menu item has sections, they are displayed as a horizontal list. In addition, the main sections are often divided into vertical tabs. For example, in the File Manager or in the Call Log.
The menu composition has not changed at all compared to the previous model. The main menu contains:
The PlayNow service is designed to download music tracks and ringtones online. Our users are unlikely to find this service useful. TrackID may be more useful - the service is supposed to help in recognizing a melody or song. You just need to record a small part of the work and send it to a special server. You should receive information about the content in response.
SonyEricsson W660i:: Review:: Phone book, call service
The phone book can store up to 1000 contacts. Each contact can contain up to 5 telephone numbers various types(home, mobile, work, fax or other), email address, IM number, Web address, postal address, position, birthday. Each subscriber can have a personal ringtone, which can be used as regular melodies, voice recordings or MP3 files.
Contacts stored on the SIM card are accessible through the menu, but they are not displayed in the general list. It is possible to switch in the settings which contacts (SIM or from the phone memory) to display. Contacts can be saved to a memory card, which may be useful. Contacts can be sorted by First Name or Last Name. In addition, you can use the PhotoID service, which allows you to attach and display photos to entries in your contact book when making calls. There is support for groups, a separate field for the phone user’s business card (its structure is similar to the phone book entry) and speed dialing (keys 2-9).
The call log is standard, the general list of calls opens by clicking on the “green handset” or through the main menu. Vertical bookmarks represent separate lists of received, sent and missed calls.
SonyEricsson W660i:: Review:: Messages
Everything related to message processing is collected in one menu: SMS, MMS, Voicemail (a subtype of MMS), e-mail, RSS. Everything is implemented quite competently. Everything you need to read and create messages (you can create everything except RSS, of course) is at hand. The RSS reader is simple and convenient. We connect the tapes we need and set up Internet access. The built-in browser is used to display RSS.
I was pleased with the clipboard support for text. You can copy and paste text. Moreover, this functionality is implemented quite competently. We have already seen something similar in the Nokia 6300 and the previous SonyEricsson model - W610i.
The email client supports all modern encodings, including Russian WIN-1251 and KOI-8. There is support for attachments that can be inserted into created messages or saved to file structure phone for further processing and use.
SonyEricsson W660i:: Review:: Applications
The "Entertainment" menu item is quite multifunctional and contains everything that the developer has preinstalled. In addition, it is in this section that the elements of the SIM menu are displayed.
The SonyEricsson W660i comes with two pre-installed games: "Extreme Air Snowboarding" and "Tower Bloxx". It is possible to get more games through the built-in service.
The Radio item provides access to the capabilities of the built-in radio. The radio supports manual and auto channel search, a list of saved radio stations, as well as an RDS function. The sound can be output to an external speaker, but a headset that acts as an antenna must be connected.
Video player - plays videos downloaded to the phone.
MusicDJ is a ringtone editor. VideoDJ is a video clip editor. Quite primitive. PhotoDJ - not bad graphics editor, you can use it to process photos from your camera or just draw. There are quite a lot of possibilities for image processing: frames, effects, clipart, resizing.
The voice recorder can record during a conversation, but cannot quickly call it. Launch only through the menu. The duration of the conversation is limited only by the amount of free memory.
Remote control - can work in tandem with the computer part and control basic actions on the computer from the phone.
SonyEricsson W660i:: Review:: Organizer
Alarms can be set to go off once or on random days of the week. Any melody, including MP3, can be used as a signal.
The calendar has not undergone any significant changes compared to the previous version. Display by month, week and day is supported. For reminders, you can set the type, duration, location, and advance notification. A useful feature - reminders - can also work when the phone is turned off (managed in the settings). You can set up event repeats.
Tasks or To-Do List is quite primitive in its capabilities. Maybe it will be useful to someone.
Calculator, timer, stopwatch, converter - simple and primitive. Code Memo is a useful application for securely storing passwords and other secret information.
Notes - text notes manager.
Video call - allows you to organize a video call to any contact from your address book. Your face is broadcast from the front camera. The ability to make video calls must be supported by the operator cellular communications, this service is not yet available in Russia.
SonyEricsson W660i:: Review:: Performance and Memory
This device, like previous SonyEricsson models, allows you to launch and execute several java applications simultaneously. In addition, a player can be running in the background. As long as there is enough memory, you can launch new java applications. As soon as the memory runs out, you will receive a corresponding message. Running applications are displayed in one of the Activity tabs of the menu, where you can switch and close them. Everything is implemented quite conveniently. Parallel running applications do not slow down or freeze the device.
Installing new java applications is simple and the process is similar to smartphones. Transfer the JAR file to your phone and install.
The following tests show the performance of the Java machine
Table "JAVA" SonyEricsson W660i |
||||
| Platform |
Sony Ericsson W660i |
|||
| Characteristics | ||||
| Platform | MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1 |
|||
| Tests | ||||
| JBenchmark 1.1.1 |
11017;
Text/2662, 2D/3036, 3D/1392, FillRate/1109, Animation/2818 |
|||
| JBenchmark 2.1.1 |
1680;
Image/516, Text/1181, Sprites/912, 3D/1140, UI/21033 |
|||
| JBenchmark 3D |
HQ/275 LQ/471 Triangle ps/43751 Ktexels ps/2506000 |
|||
Unlike the previous model, there is little built-in memory - only 16 MB. But the kit includes a 512 MB M2 memory card.
SonyEricsson W660i:: Review:: Communications
Communications of the device are limited to the following capabilities: Connection via USB cable and Bluetooth 2.0
With a cable connection, the phone asks you to select a mode. There are two modes to choose from: "USB Mass Storage Drive" or "PC Suite". In the "USB Mass Storage Drive" mode, the phone looks like a regular flash drive to a computer (both the phone's memory and a memory card are available). In PC Suite mode, the phone is able to synchronize data with your computer using SonyEricsson PC Suite software.
Built-in Bluetooth supports all modern profiles, including A2DP. Those. You can listen to stereo via Bluetooth.
This model retains a fairly good built-in NetFront browser, already familiar to us from the previous model. Its advantage is that it is able to reformat and display regular Internet pages in the form of one column. If this browser is not enough for you, you can install the most popular java browser OperaMini.
SonyEricsson W660i:: Review:: Multimedia capabilities
Let us briefly recall that the player’s capabilities allow you to create playlists and sort artists by album. There is a five-band equalizer and stereo expander and the ability to change the player visualization. There is the famous MegaBass function.
Considering that the phone belongs to the Walkman series, it is not difficult to guess that the manufacturer has done a lot to make it easier for you to listen to melodies on it. The hardware has a shortcut/activation button for the player. There is a separate button to control playback. And on the side there is another button to stop/play the current song. Plus a separate volume control button. Everything is at hand, everything is convenient.
It’s difficult to find fault with the quality of playback of melodies in headphones. Everything is almost perfect. In addition, if you play a melody through an external speaker, the sound remains clear, with a sufficient volume reserve.
In MP3 playback mode, the device worked for almost 20 hours, like the previous model.
SonyEricsson W660i:: Review:: Camera
The phone has a 2-megapixel camera, just like the previous model. But there is no flash. Therefore, you have to rely entirely on good external lighting. The behavior of the phone when shooting is practically no different from the SonyEricsson W610i. Magnification (digital) is supported. There are several video and photo shooting modes, special effects, but there is no macro mode. The manufacturer recommends taking photographs with the device on its side. The shooting controls fit perfectly under your fingers.
In general, the quality of the resulting images is mediocre, which is normal for this level of device and built-in camera.
The maximum video resolution is 176x144. There is no talk of any acceptable video quality. It is only suitable for transmission to MMS, nothing more.
SonyEricsson W660i:: Review:: Impressions and conclusions
SonyEricsson W660i is clearly a phone aimed at music lovers with pretty good functionality. I am glad that almost all of the shortcomings of the previous model have been corrected. The deterioration of the photo and the appearance of the capabilities only indicates that the developer is now trying to avoid universal all-in-one solutions. Who needs to shoot and receive nice photos and videos, will refer to other series. As a result, we get a good mobile phone with the ability to expand functionality using java applications, plus an excellent Walkman player, which is always at hand.
This device cannot be called interesting new product- This is just an updated SonyEricsson W610i with the added capability of video calls. Those. we received a walk-through model, which is designed to fill the niche when updating model range manufacturer. But, quite likely, someone will definitely like this particular model.
|
|
SE phones are no longer absolute technology leaders, as they were before. To be fair, I note that almost all major manufacturers are experiencing quality problems this year.
Walkman is the most successful music phone brand on the market; several very interesting products have already been released under this brand, which also appealed to ordinary users (not “audiophiles”), primarily due to the materials used and design. SE's desire to fill the music line with devices of all price categories has somewhat reduced the Walkman's attractiveness in the eyes of demanding consumers, but will certainly help increase the popularity of music solutions in the future.
However, sometimes such a strategy is fraught with serious internal competition between models, which only confuses the consumer. So, the hero of this review – W660i – is an almost exact copy of the W610i.
The differences between these devices are essentially limited to design, differences in dimensions (the W660i is a little thinner) and the camera module. It is worth noting that the W660i has built-in 3G support, but in Russian realities, the advantage for consumers is precisely its absence in the W610i - it has EDGE.
Based on all this, the manufacturer has established a price difference; in showrooms it now ranges from 2 to 3 thousand rubles. In fact, in the case of the W660, the user only pays extra for the keyboard and a more stylish design of the front and rear panels... Whether it’s worth paying extra for this is a matter of convenience, taste and personal preference; you should definitely hold both devices in your hands before buying.
Some W660i sets are still sold complete with MPS-70 stereo speakers, which retail for about 1,700 rubles. In my opinion, in this case, buying the W660 looks more justified, since you also get a stylish accessory, albeit not a very useful one.
Official specifications:
- Working range: GSM 900/1800/1900, UMTS 2100
- GPRS/EDGE: yes/no
- Dimensions: 102 x 46 x 14.5 mm
- Weight: 93 g
- Display: TFT, 262,144 colors, 176 x 220 pixels, 1.9 inches
- Memory: 16 MB of user-accessible internal memory
- Memory cards: support for Memory Stick Micro (M2) format up to 2 GB with hot-swap capability
- Interfaces: USB 2.0 Full Speed, Bluetooth 2.0, proprietary FastPort connector
- Camera: 2 megapixel CMOS camera without autofocus
- Multimedia: Music player supporting MP3, AAC, AAC+, E-AAC+, WAV, WMA files, support streaming video(3GPP), video recording and playback using the 3GPP codec
Equipment
The phone package includes: a standard charger with an elastic band for winding up the cable, a USB cable for connecting to a computer, a wired stereo headset HPM-70 with a 3.5 mm headphone output, standard Sony Ericsson earbuds, a 512 MB M2 memory card, disk with software.
As you can see, the equipment is quite rich; you should also take into account that some stores still offer W660i sets with portable MPS-70 stereo speakers, which connect to a standard interface connector and, if desired, can even “pump up” a small room. I had a chance to listen to these speakers, so I can say with confidence that playing “light” music such as lounge, ambient or listening to the radio is the element of this gadget. They do not have any significant volume, and they also cannot create a volume effect.
Design, case, keyboard
I received the red “female” version of the phone for testing. I’ll say right away: the reaction of the majority of girls surveyed to the device cannot be called unambiguously positive; the manufacturer did not choose the best design colors, which is why the red version looks cheaper than the black one. Although, perhaps, someone will find a certain charm in the red case.
The phone is assembled with high quality, but for that kind of money I would like to see harder plastic, and back cover creaks in your hands (we will return to it later).
Display, front-camera and the speaker grille are covered with a transparent plastic panel; it occupies almost 2/3 of the front panel and ends above the keyboard itself.
The main element of the front panel is a round navigation block with a selection/confirmation key inscribed in it. On the left and right at the same level there are semicircular (more precisely, 2/3 of a circle) blocks of double keys with round function buttons inscribed in them. The solution looks interesting, but is inferior in terms of ergonomics; I had accidental presses almost all the time, the keys are too crowded. What adds fuel to the fire is that these central round buttons protrude strongly above the other keys, as a result of which you have to press them with your fingertips, almost with your fingernails. Otherwise, you are guaranteed to constantly call either the music player or the Activity Menu, or mistakenly confirm the action. Perhaps someone will have a different opinion about the convenience of this solution, but the buttons seemed extremely ill-conceived to me.
The keyboard block occupies only a quarter of the front panel and is also not very convenient. You won't have any problems accessing the keys in the bottom row, but careless pressing of the buttons in the top row can result in accidental hits on the back, delete, and move down keys. That is, as you understand, when handling this phone, accuracy and precision are critically important.
It should also be noted that the transition between keys when touch typing is practically not felt, this is another small minus.
All edges of the phone are framed by a strip of golden plastic, into which all the buttons and connectors are located.
On the left side you will find a multimedia button (outputs sound to the speaker), a cover for the memory card slot and an engraved Walkman inscription.
The right side boasts only a rocker key for adjusting the volume and a button for calling up the camera application and shooting.
At the bottom there is a standard interface connector; its location on the bottom edge will please conservatives and other owners who already have accessories for Sony Ericsson, for example, desktop chargers.
On the top edge you can only see the on/off button.
The back panel consists of two parts - the battery compartment cover and the decorative top part, which in the red version has a “floral” pattern. In the black version, the pattern consists of circles. The idyll is broken by a transparent round insert that covers the camera peephole and multimedia speaker. It seemed to me that the insert does not fit well with the external appearance of the device and violates its integrity, primarily due to - what else - the low quality of the plastic used. The task of any manufacturer is to make plastic, especially transparent plastic, as similar as possible to glass, both in tactile sensations, appearance and durability. The designers failed with this model.
The battery cover deserves a special mention. Firstly, it is too tight, sometimes you have to spend two minutes to remove it. Secondly, despite this, it noticeably plays and creaks, which does not add romance to the relationship with the phone. I think the problem can be solved by placing a piece of cardboard or folded paper over the lid, but why should the buyer do this when buying a phone for 10,000 rubles? To be fair, I will say that quality problems are not specific to Sony Ericsson alone, this is a phenomenon common to the entire market.
Among other design features, we can note the traditionally very inconvenient slot for the SIM card; even experienced users sometimes find it very difficult to remove it. I'm afraid to imagine what will happen to girls and their nails with a beautiful manicure.
Display
The phone uses a 2-inch diagonal TFT display (4 x 3.1 cm, in reality the display is still a little short of 2 inches, it’s more like 1.9) with a resolution of 176x220 pixels. Frankly speaking, for this money I would like to see full-fledged 320x240 pixels in all devices, which significantly improve the ease of use of the device. The requirement is not a dream; for more than a year now there have been many models on the market cheaper than the W660i that have good screens with a diagonal of 2 inches and high resolution.
The brightness and color rendition (262,144 colors) of the display are very good, the image is slightly distorted when changing the viewing angle.
Battery
The phone uses a BST-33 950 mAh lithium polymer battery. Operating hours are standard for modern devices, with sufficiently active use, one charge will last you for two days. With intensive use of certain functions (games, watching videos, music), the phone can be discharged within a day.
Bluetooth, USB, computer connection
A2DP profiles are supported, so you can purchase an additional Bluetooth stereo headset and listen to music through it.
When connected to a computer, you can work in three modes:
- File transfer – in this mode, the phone reboots and you can access the contents of the internal memory and memory card through Windows Explorer.
- Phone mode – in this mode, the phone is synchronized, memory work through the PC Suite application, and firmware updated.
- Print – you can send pictures for printing directly to the printer.
I would also like to say something about the software included with the phone. As always, it is recommended to download newer versions from the Sony Ericsson website, but that is not the point here. I found it completely unacceptable that software from such a large manufacturer is so poorly compatible with Windows Vista which is installed on mine home computer. In order for everything to work, I had to spend about 30 minutes searching for solutions on the Internet. By the way, the utility for updating the firmware and the proprietary file manager did not work.
Camera
Unlike the cheaper W610i, it has a 2 megapixel matrix without autofocus. There is no flash. The quality of the images is absolutely standard for such matrices; you shouldn’t expect miracles.
The number of settings is pleasantly pleasing. From the camera application menu, you have the following options:
- Shoot mode – shooting mode, you can choose between normal, panorama, high-speed shooting of 4 frames (Burst) and shooting mode “in a frame” (Frames).
- Turn on/off night mode – turn on/off night mode.
- Self-timer - timer for approximately 15 seconds.
- Effects - effects black and white image, sepia and negative.
- White balance – white balance is adjusted by 5 parameters, including Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent and Incandescent.
- Picture Quality – normal or good quality Images.
- Shutter sound – choose from 4 shutter sounds.
- Turn on/off time and date – display time and date on pictures.
- Save to – where to save the pictures, to your phone or to a memory card.
Platform, menu
The phone is built on the A100 platform, everything is standard and without significant changes. The menu is very simple and intuitive, even for those people who have not used Sony Ericsson phones before. All functions and settings can be accessed without digging through the menu and frantically searching for the necessary items in the instructions; this is a positive family feature of all SE phones. In the same Motorola, without instructions, you will study the capabilities of the phone for at least several days (this, of course, does not apply to fans of the brand).
Standby screen
The standby screen can be divided into 4 zones. The top one is service indicators, such as signal reception level, battery charge level, and other symbols signaling certain events and enabled functions.
Below is the name of the operator.
At the bottom of the screen there are captions for the soft keys; the time and date are shown above them.
The lack of other desktop functionality is compensated by the proprietary Activity Menu, called up by the corresponding key. It consists of 4 tabs.
1st – New events, information about new messages and other events is displayed here. Accordingly, this tab opens automatically when you receive an SMS.
2nd – Running aps, where the list is shown running applications, which you can switch between. From here, programs are closed by pressing the right soft key (End).
3rd – My shortcuts, this is where you get after calling the Activity Menu, this is a list of your shortcuts that allow you to access certain phone functions. By default, shortcuts are assigned to the Bluetooth menu, alarms, RSS reader, radio, calendar and main menu. You can add and remove shortcuts as you wish. It is noteworthy that the most used ones are automatically moved up.
4th – Internet, this is a list of two links (entering the address and text in the Google search bar) and a shortcut to the folder with bookmarks.
Main menu
The main menu is a matrix of 12 items; quick navigation is supported using the numeric keypad.
I will go through all the menu items, starting with the top left; there is no point in focusing on all aspects, if only because, as I already said, the organization of the menu is very simple and intuitive.
Sony Ericsson– the most useless and rarely used menu item, it’s just a link to the Sony Ericsson WAP site.
Internet- Launches standard browser NetFront, there are no changes compared to other SE devices. As I already said in the section about the display, the screen resolution is clearly not enough for comfortable viewing even of pages intended for PDA.
Entertainment. From this menu you can get quick access to launch the radio, games, voice recorder, video player and other entertainment applications built into the phone - simple editors VideoDJ, PhotoDJ, MusicDJ and remote control via Bluetooth.
By default, one game is installed on the phone, this is tennis, already familiar from other models.
Camera– launches the camera application. Detailed description See the corresponding section for the phone's photographic capabilities.
Messaging. As the name implies, it opens access to phone functions such as working with SMS and MMS, Email, RSS reader, My friends IM service and voice mail.
As is now customary with all leading manufacturers, from the Write new menu you can immediately select the type of this message - text message (SMS), picture message (MMS), voice message and Email.
When writing messages, everything is standard, you can switch the input language by pressing the hash (#), turn on/off T9 by pressing the asterisk (*), pressing the same button switches the input modes of lowercase/capital letters.
A signature feature of Sony Ericsson is the menu quick selection recipients, the list displays the latest contacts and numbers to which you sent messages. In most situations, this is very convenient; it allows you to search for the same people in the phone book every time.
The email client is quite functional for mobile device, all necessary server types, attachments and Russian encoding are supported.
The RSS reader did not seem very convenient to me due to the lack of the ability to “scroll through” news without returning to their list.
Walkman– launch of a proprietary player for listening to music, which differs from the players in “non-musical” SE phones in that it has richer settings and almost everything necessary for listening to music. You can create/edit playlists, work with the media library (data is taken from tags), adjust the sound using an equalizer, which, in addition to presets, has manual adjustment options.
The sound quality is not excellent, but it is acceptable for most undemanding listeners. For those who want to use the musical capabilities of the device, I would advise you to immediately buy good in-ear headphones like the Sennheiser CX-300; the included ones are suitable only for the first time.
The included remote control is convenient, perhaps because it allows you to change headphones; otherwise, this is a regular headset.
File manager. From here you can work with the contents of the phone's memory, you can view both all files and separately data in the built-in memory and on the card.
Contacts – phone book, everything is standard for Sony Ericsson, the number of fields, functions for editing and personalizing each contact - everything is at the modern level.
TrackID– an application for obtaining information about music file in the Internet. To be honest, I don’t really understand who might need this; the vast majority of people add tags and catalog files on their computer.
Calls– call log, you can view them in 4 lists: incoming, outgoing, missed and all. An icon is displayed next to each entry, showing which number - work, home, mobile - you were called from.
Organizer. From this menu you can access the following functions: alarms, installed applications, video calls in third generation networks, calendar, tasks, notes, synchronization with an Internet service, timer, stopwatch, calculator and a simple manager for passwords and other private information.
Settings. Here all the phone settings are collected in 5 tabs.
General – General settings: profiles, date and time, menu language and text input, firmware update via GPRS, functions voice control, mode for displaying notifications about new events (in a pop-up window or in the Activity Menu), setting shortcuts for the navigation key in standby mode, security settings, full reset and some other functions.
Sounds & alerts– settings of melody, volume, operating modes and vibration alert.
Display– wallpapers, themes, screensavers, start screen, clock sizes and backlight brightness. It should be noted that it supports changing the appearance of the main menu using themes; So, instead of the usual “tile”, you can choose topics where all the items are scrolled in a horizontal row. How convenient and practical it is is for you to judge.
Calls– information about call duration, cost, call settings, headsets and other related settings.
Connectivity– here you will find settings for Bluetooth, USB, synchronization, Internet profiles and mobile networks.
Impressions and conclusions
The W660i example shows what happens when a manufacturer tries to fill a market maximum number its solutions in different price groups, but does not have sufficient resources.
Externally, the phone is interesting, coupled with advanced music capabilities, it claims to be an image solution. Another thing is that the quality of workmanship clearly does not correspond to this proud title and the price that was assigned for the model; the overvaluation of many new Sony Ericsson models goes back to the times when the devices of this company were technological leaders.
The main disadvantages include:
- low quality of plastic used;
- poor selection of colors;
- poor build quality;
- phenomenally uncomfortable keyboard;
- outdated display with relatively low resolution.
The advantages include, as I already said, a rather unusual design and rich equipment. The problem is that the technical specifications and equipment of the W610i, which costs almost $100 less, are almost exactly the same as the hero of this review, but it has an autofocus camera and a more comfortable keyboard. The musical capabilities of the phones are the same. Some sellers even artificially raise the price of the 610, which, in my opinion, is a wrong practice.
The bottom line is that the Sony Ericsson W660i can be called an unremarkable music solution for not too demanding buyers who also care about the appearance of the device and the image component. For true music lovers and demanding users who want to get the most out of their phone, I can't recommend the W660i enough to buy. If you look at your competitors, you can give an example
“You want it again and again,” these are the words from some advertisement. They can probably be used in relation to Sony Ericsson W-series products. It is not clear who wants it more - the developer or the buyer. But one after another we come across similar Walkman models on the shelves. Our today's competitor is not far from the W610i.
Main technical characteristics
| Weight | 93 grams |
| Dimensions | 102 x 46 x 14.5 mm |
| Communication standard | GSM 900/1800/1900, UMTS |
| Battery | lithium polymer 950mAh |
| Phone book | 1000 numbers |
| Sound | 40-voice polyphony. MP3 support, playback through acoustics |
| Camera | 2 megapixel, additional front for video calls |
| Memory | 16 MB, supports M2 memory cards |
| Display | 176x220 pixels, displaying 262,144 colors |
| Main functions | alarm clock, calculator, stopwatch, calendar, timer, applications, SMS, MMS, tasks, built-in MP3 player and radio, Track ID music recognition option, video call |
| Communications | GPRS class 10, WAP 2.0, Bluetooth, email client |
| Price | 10000-11000 rubles |
Contents of delivery
The inside of the box is finished to match the phone itself - it has an ornament of white and gold circles.
So, in the box we found: a phone, a charger, a disk with the necessary software, a cable for synchronizing with a PC, instructions, a stereo headset, a 512 MB memory card and a portable sound system MPS-70. This means you won't have to run to the store. The manufacturer has taken care of everything necessary for amateur use. And even more than that. In our memory, for example, there were no acoustics in any test set.
Sony Ericsson W660i from all sides
The developer offers two color variations of the phone: rich red and black. We will introduce you to black.
Of course, the model is externally similar to the W610i. This is not hidden. The monoblock has the shape of a rectangle. The edges are slightly smoothed. On the glossy insert, or rather, there is a screen in it. Below is the navigation block. The number keys are tightly adjacent to it. The camera lens for video calls is barely visible above the screen. The surface of the navigator buttons, the battery compartment cover and the ends of the phone are made of soft-touch coating. There is a platinum-colored edge around the entire perimeter, on which there is a speaker activation key on the left side, and just below there is a slot for an M2 memory card, covered with a plastic cap.
On right side On top is a flat connected rocker for volume control and zoom in viewfinder mode, and below is the camera activation button itself. Cable socket and charger, as well as a device for attaching a lace are located below. On the top end there is only a power button.
Let's turn our gaze to the back side.
On our copy, around the insert with the speaker and the camera window (without flash and mirror), we see only circles. In the case of the red version, the circles are replaced with a relief floral design. Which clearly indicates an orientation towards a female audience.
The cover can be easily removed, and the battery must be pulled out from under the circle. The SIM card is inserted into the slot. Everything is solid.
Of course, there is nothing new in the design. And that’s not the bet. There is a small paraphrase, as they say, and that’s good.
Keyboard
The navigation block is stylized in the tradition of the W-series - three circles, the outer ones are cut off. The navigator is five-position, small. The confirmation key is very small, but protrudes above the surface, so it can be easily felt. It matches the color of the edging on the phone body. The rim around the navigator is the same color. Each soft button, or rather, each outer semicircle, practically imitates a navigator, but without a border. The upper guide enters the menu and selects an action, the lower guide returns to the previous item. The middle button activates the player. On the right the situation is similar. Above – function key, below – cancellations.
The number keys are rectangular in shape and their size is optimal. The keys are movable and enter the body at a barely perceptible angle. The buttons are easy to find with your finger. But it’s better to put pressure on them with your fingernail. Because when working with a pad, you risk pressing the adjacent key. There is no air between the lines at all.
The backlight is white and uniform.
Display
The phone screen displays 262,144 colors and has a resolution of 172x220 pixels. Some time ago, the latest figures would have clearly inspired us and persuaded us to buy a mobile phone. Now we take these characteristics for granted and would not really like the numbers to be lower. This is how everything changes. Looking at today's customer demands, we can say that the display is high quality, but not perfect. Yes, the color scheme is soft, yes, everything is clearly visible and at the same time nothing is colorful or ripples. But the sunlight does its job, albeit bright, and the picture fades.
When typing, the numbers are large and clearly visible.
Dimensions and weight
102 x 46 x 14.5 mm and weighs 93 grams. Recently, Sony Ericsson models have not been distinguished by their lightness. This is mainly due to the material from which the case is made. And, you know, it’s nice. You feel that you are not holding a pacifier in your hands.
Sound. 40-tone polyphony will not spoil your impression of the phone and the player. True, there are very few melodies in memory.
Now it's time to talk about the speaker system.
Of course that's wonderful. It really creates the feeling of full sound reproduction. You can hear everything in the room perfectly, nothing creaks or hurts your ears. In addition, the cable acts as an antenna. So you can listen not only to the player, but also to the radio. But we had doubts about the company’s slogan that it can easily fit in your pocket. And if you do this, people will think that you put at least three boxes of matches in each pocket. And you won’t want to carry such a thing in your pocket or bag. She will quickly lose her attractiveness.
Battery
The 950 mAh lithium polymer battery has proven itself with the best side. With an average intensity of conversations and application use, it worked for 4 days. But! We recorded a huge number of MP3 tunes and put the album on repeat. As a result, the phone “sang” almost the whole day. But then the battery suddenly died down. It took about one hour and 45 minutes to restore it.
Sony Ericsson W660i combines three devices at once: a mobile phone, a high-quality Walkman player and a camera. And on top of everything else, it is elegant, elegant and compact. W660i is a phone to complete your experience. The Walkman 2.0 audio player makes it much easier to navigate through genres, playlists, individual songs or music albums. There is also a TrackID feature provided by Gracenote Mobile MusicID. If you forgot the name of the album, or the name of the artist, you can record a few seconds of the sound of the composition through a microphone, or the built-in FM radio, with the press of one key, send this recording to the Gracenote global music database, which will recognize the track and transmit information about the artist, title songs or albums directly to your phone.
According to ZOOM.Cnews readers
Sony Ericsson W660i:
Lightweight, masculine, beautiful, ergonomic, affordable, has a capacious battery, can be a replacement for a player, functional, has a good camera.
CHARACTERISTICS
easyMale
Beautiful
Ergonomic
Affordable
Has a capacious battery
Can be a replacement for the player
Functional
Has a good camera
Collapse
MAIN TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Nutrition
Battery capacity: 950 mAh Battery type: Li-polymer Talk time: 6 h Standby time: 360 hAdditional Information
Features: TrackID; Mega Bass; RSS feeds; video calls Date of announcement: 2007-03-14 Equipment: phone, battery, network charger, portable stereo hands-free, MS Micro 512 MB memory card, interface cable, software disk, instructionsGeneral characteristics
Type: phone Weight: 93 g Control: navigation key Case type: classic Number of SIM cards: 1 Dimensions (WxHxT): 46x102x15 mm SIM card type: regularScreen
Screen type: color TFT, 262.14 thousand colors Diagonal: 1.9 inches. Image size: 220x176 Pixels per inch (PPI): 148Calls
Type of melodies: polyphonic, MP3 melodies Vibrate alert: yesMultimedia capabilities
Camera: 2 million pixels, 1600x1200 Video recording: yes (3GP) Max. video resolution: 176x144 Audio: MP3, AAC, FM radio Voice recorder: yes Games: yes Java applications: yesConnection
Interfaces: Bluetooth, USB Internet access: WAP, GPRS Standard: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G Synchronization with a computer: yes Use as a USB drive: yes Modem: yes Connector for external antenna: yes Protocol support: POP/SMTPMemory and processor
Number of processor cores: 1 Built-in memory capacity: 16 MB Memory card slot: yesMessages
Additional SMS functions: text input with MMS dictionary: yesOther features
Speakerphone (built-in speaker): yes Airplane mode: yes A2DP profile: yes Auto redial: yesNotebook and organizer
Organizer: alarm clock, calculator, task scheduler Book search: yes Exchange between SIM card and internal memory: There is| Screen | |
|---|---|
| Screen | TFT |
| Diagonal | 2 " |
| Color rendition | 262144 colors |
| Permission | 176 x 220 pixels |
| Memory | |
| Built-in memory | 16 MB |
| Call and multimedia | |
| FM tuner | |
| Data transfer | |
| Bluetooth | |
| Email client | |
| GPRS | |
| MMS | |
| Camera and video | |
| Number of pixels | 2 million pixels |
| Additional Information | video telephony |
| Battery | |
| Talk mode | 6 hours |
| Standby mode | 360 h |
| Dimensions and weight | |
| Width | 46 mm |
| Height | 102 mm |
| Thickness | 14.5 mm |
| Weight | 93 g |