Sony Ericsson W890i Overview
Expected UK Release Date: AvailableKey Features
Walkman® Music Player
TrackID™ Music Recognition Feature
SensMe™ Playlist Feature
3G HSDPA Technology
104 x 46.5 x 9.9 mm
2 Inch 262k Colour Screen (240 x 320 Pixels)
3.2 Megapixel Camera with Digital Zoom
Our Summary
The Sony Ericsson W890i Walkman® music phone comes in a ultra slim casing & is available in a mocha brown or a sparkling silver coloured casing. The phone is a solid bar design casing which comes with smooth edges & a metal finish. The built in features include a high quality Walkman® Music Player complete with TrackID™ & SensMe™ music features. The W890i come with 3G HSDPA technology, EDGE technology & is a quad band network phone.
The above ratings are average figures, which have been generated from submitted mobile phone reviews.
Sony Ericsson W890i Review
The user of the W890i will have to be a true music lover, as the Sony Ericsson W890i is packed full of many easy to use music features which are waiting to be enjoyed. The phone has a built in FM radio which can be activated by the user simply plugging in the headphones. The radio comes complete with a RDS feature which allows the user to see the name of the station they are tuned into & the radio station can even provide information on the song which is being played by the radio station. The built in Walkman® music player comes with easy to access music controls which provides the user with a real feel music player in their hand. The user can enjoy listening to their music using a Bluetooth® stereo A2DP wireless connection between their headset & phone. The phone comes with a SensMe™ music feature which allows the user to create playlists based on type & mood of music. The user can always find out the name of a song they like the sound of by using the built in TrackID™ feature which can name a song, the artist & the album from a short recording of the track. The user simply records a few seconds of the song they like the sound of & within a few seconds TrackID™ will advise the user of the song name, artist or band performing the song & the album name from what the song is from. TrackID™ is a popular music feature which is enjoyed by many music lovers & it is powered by Gracenote mobile MusicID™. The Sony Ericsson W890i also supports a Mega Bass™ which allows the user to enhance the bass frequencies & add depth to their sound. The PlayNow™ feature allows the user to download ringtones with three clicks which is the fastest way to download ringtones on to this new stylish music phone. The phone supports polyphonic & MP3 ringtones. The user can transfer songs straight from a music CD to their W890i by using the Disc2Phone software to simply drag & drop music files between devices.



The W890i comes with good quality imaging features which include an integrated 3.2 megapixel camera complete with photo & video capabilities. The user can enjoy taking still photos or moving video footage on their integrated camera feature. The camera comes with a digital zoom & with camera setting to ensure the perfect photo is captured each time the user presses the capture button. The video features allow the user to play, record, stream & blog video on their Sony Ericsson W890i. The user can share their photos with other contacts by using the direct interaction to the messaging services. The user can add their photo to a multimedia message complete with sound & text to make a lively MMS message. The phone supports email, text messaging & instant messaging. The user can use the predictive text feature to assist them when typing a long message which will save time & effort as the word is predicted for the user as the user begins to type.
The phone supports Java™ games which provide the user with an exciting 3D gaming experience for them to enjoy. The user can access certain features on their phone whilst in mobile phone restricted areas such as on a plane or in a hospital by using the flight mode feature. The flight mode disables the phones radio transmitters & receivers which allows the user to use their phone safely when in these areas. The phone comes with a phone book feature which allows the user to add, delete & edit their contacts details. The user can talk to others without holding the handset as the user can hear their contact over the phones speakers using the handsfree speaker phone feature. The Sony Ericsson W890i supports PictBridge printing which allows the user to print directly from their handset to a printer. The W890i is a beautifully designed 3G music phone which comes with music focused featured & in a high quality handset.
Sony Ericsson W890i Specifications & Features
Screen
2 Inch 262k Colour Screen (240 x 320 Pixels)
Imaging
3.2 Megapixel Camera
Digital Zoom
Camera Settings
Video Record
Video Player
Video Clip
Video Blog
Video Streaming
Video Calling
Picture Wallpaper
Wallpaper Animation
Messaging
SMS (Text Messaging)
MMS (Multimedia Messaging)
Instant Messaging
Email
Predictive Text Input
Sound Recorder
Sound
Walkman® Music Player
FM Radio RDS
Polyphonic Ringtones
MP3 Ringtones
Mega Bass™
TrackID™
PlayNow™
SensMe™
Disc2Phone Software
Bluetooth® Stereo (A2DP)
Entertainment
Java™ Games
3D Games
Embedded Games
Downloadable Games
2 Inch 262k Colour Screen (240 x 320 Pixels)
Imaging
3.2 Megapixel Camera
Digital Zoom
Camera Settings
Video Record
Video Player
Video Clip
Video Blog
Video Streaming
Video Calling
Picture Wallpaper
Wallpaper Animation
Messaging
SMS (Text Messaging)
MMS (Multimedia Messaging)
Instant Messaging
Predictive Text Input
Sound Recorder
Sound
Walkman® Music Player
FM Radio RDS
Polyphonic Ringtones
MP3 Ringtones
Mega Bass™
TrackID™
PlayNow™
SensMe™
Disc2Phone Software
Bluetooth® Stereo (A2DP)
Entertainment
Java™ Games
3D Games
Embedded Games
Downloadable Games
Organiser
Phone Book
Alarm Clock
Calculator
Calendar
Tasks
Timer
Stopwatch
Notes
Flight Mode
Speakerphone
Vibrating Alert
PictBridge Printing
Connectivity
3G HSDPA
Bluetooth®
USB
EDGE
Network
Quad Band Technology (GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800 & GSM 1900)
Internet
NetFront™ Web Browser
RSS Feeds
Memory & Talk Time
26 Mbytes Memory plus Micro™ M2™ Memory Support
9.5 Hours Talk Time
360 Hours Standby
Weight & Size
78 g
104 x 46.5 x 9.9 mm
Phone Book
Alarm Clock
Calculator
Calendar
Tasks
Timer
Stopwatch
Notes
Flight Mode
Speakerphone
Vibrating Alert
PictBridge Printing
Connectivity
3G HSDPA
Bluetooth®
USB
EDGE
Network
Quad Band Technology (GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800 & GSM 1900)
Internet
NetFront™ Web Browser
RSS Feeds
Memory & Talk Time
26 Mbytes Memory plus Micro™ M2™ Memory Support
9.5 Hours Talk Time
360 Hours Standby
Weight & Size
78 g
104 x 46.5 x 9.9 mm
Sony Ericsson Phones Best Buys
Your Sony Ericsson W890i Reviews
Click here to add your own review for the Sony Ericsson W890i
Reviewer: S - Netherlands
Date: 1st Aug 2010
I have used this as my only phone for about 2 years now.
It's a very good phone. I dropped many times even on hard floors.
Battery life is very good. This is just a luck factor because phone batteries can die or lose capacity every day.
2 years it worked very well. I've been very happy with it. It's very small & thin. After getting used to this other phones seem large en inconvenient. I love the design. Nice aluminium. It does wear but not in a bad way. Unlike other phones which just start to look ugly this phone's aluminium body gets marks, just like a pair of jeans.
Lately it starts to have the restarting problem. However what I did was clean the contacts of the battery & the phone (scratch with a screwdriver so the surface gets raw & grainy for good contact).
Also clean the SIM card. Put two layers of normal tape on the SIM card so it fits tight & never loses contact.
Upgrade the firmware, don't use moving wallpapers. Do a master reset. All these things can help. Regularly clean the lists (call list, SMS etc).
Btw the camera is poor (K800i was way better).
Sound over the Walkman headphones is very good with a deep bass. The built in music speaker is weak. However the speaker for phone calls is good.
Even today it's a great phone for calls, some texting & Walkman.
Bluetooth works good with Xplod car stereo & plantronics stereo music headset (a2dp).
3G HSDPA has worked very well as a modem for my laptop (connected via USB). Good reception & speed.
Reviewer: H Chang - UK
Date: 29th Apr 2010
Looks good feels good, but the worst phone I ever had. Gets no reception, keeps going on to the camera on its own without touching any buttons.
Hundreds of pictures of my pockets!
Won't let me answar any incoming calls no matter how many times you press the answer button.
Reviewer: Abe - Mexico, Mexico
Date: 20th Apr 2010
I like this phone:
- It's small & light.
- For its size it has great features.
- Walkman player is great.
- Reception works fine for me.
- Good battery life.
I dislike:
- The freezing & resetting. It used to happen once a while, but has become more frequent, up to 2 to 3 times a day.
- No built in jack plug for head phones. Argh! You are forced to use Sony's adapter to listen to music.
Reviewer: Rachel Shreeve - Norfolk, UK
Date: 6th Apr 2010
Having had two different Sony Ericsson model phones in the past I was a Sony Ericsson fan so I got this phone on a 24 month dolphin 15 contract with Orange. At first I loved it! However after about 6 weeks it starting crashing & turning itself off & as the weeks went on it would sometimes do it 3 or 4 times a day. I researched the phone & found this was a common fault for this phone (my friend has one & the same happens to hers). As the phone had become unreliable & un useable, I contacted Orange & asked for a different phone, in short their answer NO! So they sent me another Sony Ericsson W890i. I couldn't face transferring all my info etc to this only for it to crash again as I knew it would so gave it to my daughter's friend to use. Guess what! Worked fine for about 6 weeks & then started crashing & turning itself off! Rang Orange, & yes they would send me ANOTHER Sony Ericsson W890i but to add insult to injury this time my 6 months from starting contract was up so they would charge me £70 to do it! What treatment to a customer with 4 contract phones, 2 PAYG phones, home line & broadband! Contacted Sony Ericsson who just said to post it to them! Why should I pay more money when I have already had to pay for a new phone! Don't touch this phone with a barge pole! Can not recommend Orange either, they are only OK if everything is fine or they are taking your money otherwise if you have a problem. No chance! Am very disillusioned :(.
Reviewer: Louisa - UK
Date: 26th Mar 2010
This phone is awful. I loved it at first but then it started freezing & crashing so I had it replaced. Then my replacement was even worse, crashed every time I called someone & now the screen won't even turn on. Its good once its on but it won't stop crashing.
Reviewer: Catherine - London, UK
Date: 22nd Feb 2010
Okay Okay, I must admit. This phone is so stressful, if it didn't look as nice as it does, I would have thrown it into the River Thames a very long time ago.
I have had this Sony Ericsson (mocha) for just over a year now & from the start I had a hunch it would do my head in.
Erm, I do agree with the other comments when it comes to the switching off, only difference with me is that it does not switch itself back on, or maybe I just do not give it a chance. When this happens, I just simply take out the battery allow two or three seconds for it to calm down & then assemble it again. After this, it works fine.
But my speakers are not as bad. Mind you, I do not ALWAYS play my music out loud.
Now, as for the camera, I find that for 3.2 megapixels is it? It is not so bad, my pictures have come out in pretty good quality both on the phone & on print outs, I think that aside from the external memory & the design of the phone, it is the best feature on this phone, although it would do great with a flash light.
Also, my battery life was great at the start but now, I also have to charge it almost EVERY night which is only annoying! & the port for the charger & headphones is mad. It is always going off the rails. It works then stops working then starts working again. & now, I cannot even use headphones in my phone at all, I can only just about charge it. That is my biggest problem!
But in all honesty, the phone has kind of grown on me & it has now become bearable. I wouldn't particularly recommend this phone to anyone else but I wouldn't object if they wanted to buy it, I would only warn them about the disaster the phone turns into.
Sony Ericsson, Please Please Please. Make a W890i & use all of our comments to make a better product & keep your customers because I will only be able to bear this for so long. But I like the handset. Looks cool!
Reviewer: Yona - Harare, Zimbabwe
Date: 9th Feb 2010
Advantages.
- Excellent phone strong (dropped it many times but never it switched off), good camera, network is also good, fast when browsing Internet, excellent graphics display quality, thin & simple, you won't feel it in your pocket, excellent sound on earphones, satisfactory battery life.
Disadvantages.
- No flash light, speaker is terribly low unless if you are playing non bass sounds, restarts if you run some applications that has errors.
Generally it's a wonderful phone exactly the kind I have always been looking for.
Well done Sony Ericsson.
Reviewer: Alice - London, UK
Date: 3rd Feb 2010
Worst phone I've ever owned coupled with useless customer services. Avoid at all costs.
Reviewer: Kethen - South Africa
Date: 2nd Feb 2010
I would not recommend this phone as it freezers & turns its self off & on at anytime, the speakers are not that grand either, the only thing good about this phone is the download speeds.
Reviewer: Jas - West Midlands, UK
Date: 27th Jan 2010
I agree, this phone is absolutely terrible. It freezes & switches itself on & off at any random time. Plus gets hardly any signal. I WOULD NOT recommend THIS PHONE TO anyone!
Reviewer: Andy T - London, UK
Date: 22nd Jan 2010
Hands down the worst mobile phone I have ever used or rather tried to use. Freezes & crashes all the time, yet another poor phone from Sony Ericsson.
Reviewer: Abeera Alam - Redhill, UK
Date: 20th Jan 2010
Well. I have had the phone for 10 months now. All I can say is. DON'T BUY IT. The main reason is that it's so hard just to get 1 bar of signal! Another reason is that it crashes all the time! Camera takes ages to come on, the music freezes.
Reviewer: Fee - UK
Date: 18th Jan 2010
Refreshing to see I am not going completely mad. Lots of phone calls to O2 who had me upgrading software online, then apparently my SIM was outdated so a new SIM was tried which made no difference whatsoever, what a shocker! Phone currently gone back for repair as still under warranty, not even a year old yet.
I wonder if anyone from Sony reads these reviews & blogs? Would be refreshing for provider to admit there have been problems & not be fobbed off with nonsense. Have had Sony Ericsson's for years but no more I am afraid. Don't know anyone who'll have another Sony who's had this phone. IPhone here I come ;0).
Reviewer: Laura - UK
Date: 13th Dec 2009
The phone would be good if it just stayed on. In the middle of texting or phoning it freezes & just switches off. Freezes with inactive SIM up to 5 times a day. Features are good but wouldn't recommend this phone as you just want to smash it against a wall sometimes.
Reviewer: Ben - Exeter, UK
Date: 28th Nov 2009
This phone is terrible, I've had the same problem as everyone with the phone freezing & crashing all the time! Worst phone I've ever had, I am surprised I haven't smashed it against a brick wall. I have come very close at times! I stopped using it & went back to my old phone & I am now due an upgrade. Thank goodness!
Reviewer: Juls - Scotland, UK
Date: 27th Nov 2009
Same as everyone else, the dreaded red light & have to take battery out to start it back up! Now I can receive incoming calls but the person on the other end can't hear me, seriously wouldn't get another Sony Ericsson! Its such a good phone otherwise!
Reviewer: Helen - UK
Date: 16th Nov 2009
Great phone. If it would stay switched on.
Constantly crashes, up to 3 times on bad days, meaning you have to take the battery out & start all over again.
Apparently nobody officially is aware of this problem despite the hundreds of similar comments I have read on this & other website.
Don't buy this phone & if you do, fear the red light.
Reviewer: Kevski - London, UK
Date: 9th Nov 2009
This phone is terrible. Worse phone ever made. Freezing, switch off & poor signal. Been using Ericsson's for years, but this is definitely the last one for me. Not happy.
Reviewer: Phill B - UK
Date: 2nd Nov 2009
Great looking phone with the now usual phone features of MP3 Player camera etc.
First the camera is not the best on a phone. As the phone is so thin there is no flash, so be prepared for a lot of blurry & also out of focus photos. It is useless in dark places.
As an MP3 player I have found it supports a lot of file formats, however the sound can be a bit tinny if your using songs for ringtones & also the headphones supplied aren't the best, the socket they plug into on the phone is a bit delicate & I constantly have to move the jack around to get sound through the headphones!
Also as no doubt many others have said, this phone crashes a lot! I have had the phone crash, then reboot itself only to crash again on start up! My personal record is 4 reboots & crashes without even touching the phone!? Also had the crashes when making, during & receiving a phone call & text!
However the plus points are an impressive battery life, can go about 5 days without recharging with moderate use. The phone is very light & small which may give some people issues with the tiny keypad. It's quite tough but also prone to scratching the nice aluminium casing without care.
It's a nice enough phone when it works but it seems like it's some beta version of a phone that shouldn't have been released yet.
Reviewer: Lisa - London, UK
Date: 29th Oct 2009
Gosh, well I have found some comfort (if you can call it comfort) in the fact that it is not just me who has a terribly unreliable phone. My Sony Ericsson W890i constantly crashes & freezes, the screen goes black & the little red light on the back comes on & there has a little vibrate to tell you that it is going for a nap. This nap (or more like a coma) can last for hours despite taking the battery out & putting the phone back together again. Like another reviewer said, when you have children you need to have a working phone at all times, well it's pot luck with this phone & now that my upgrade is due I am so scared of this happening with the next phone that I don't have a clue which one to go for. Anyway, the long & the short of it is, avoid this phone like the plague.
Reviewer: Kate S - UK
Date: 25th Oct 2009
I am now on my third replacement of this phone, it cuts out mid call, which is very frustrating, takes up to 4 hours to come back on. Was told by O2 that my recorded fault was unusual & they hadn't had any other complaints!
Reviewer: Laura - UK
Date: 20th Oct 2009
Great looking phone, nice shape & small so easy to take around. Features are good, good quality camera.
ALTHOUGH, when text messaging, half way through writing a text my phone freezes & then crashes, it also freezes & crashes when I receive a text & just after I have sent a text. When I make a call my phone also crashes then, sometimes these calls are important ones! I was told to reset my phone, I did this 4 times in one month & it still hasn't made a difference, I have had this phone since November 2008 & have hated it since the day I bought it, I am on contract so I cannot upgrade yet & they will not replace the phone or fix it for me. Also, when my phone crashes it changes all my settings! & it does this on a regular basis so I have given up trying.
Reviewer: Gemma - UK
Date: 14th Oct 2009
I got this when it was brand spanking new & have had all the same problems as everyone else, lack of signal, freezing, switching off etc. Best one was it losing me some work because I had no signal for 6 hours then the damn thing wouldn't turn back on!
But even that wasn't enough to get a replacement from Vodafone as I don't get my insurance from them. Erm, warranty? ! HELLO? ! I eventually got a replacement (clearly they'd had enough of one year of complaints from people! ) but that's almost as bad.
The phone itself is easy to navigate & has all the opportunity to be an amazing phone. If only it actually worked.
Reviewer: Steve - Newport, UK
Date: 6th Oct 2009
Rubbish I would never have another Sony Ericsson, but it is stylish looking.
Reviewer: Gemma - Crawley, UK
Date: 25th Sep 2009
Completely useless & I hate it! I have been arguing with Orange about them giving me a new model that I am not entitled to yet. I am on my 4th replacement & it still has the same problems, it crashes, freezes, never has any reception!
I have 2 children who I leave in preschool & the other in a crèche for an hour whilst I do the gym, if anybody needs me I am completely unavailable because of how useless this phone is! It crashes one a text has sent & sometimes this happens 10 times a day.
I have simply had enough & am complaining to Trading Standards as this phone is clearly not doing what it is designed to do!
Reviewer: Cara - UK
Date: 20th Sep 2009
I've had this phone since March 2008 & my 18 month contract has finally ran out! The phone constantly freezes & turns itself off so I have to pull out the battery to get it to turn back on. It often doesn't get a signal & comes up with emergency calls only & then texts sent to my phone while it doesn't have a signal, don't come through until about an hour later unless I turn my phone on & off.
Reviewer: Chrissie - Hampshire, UK
Date: 19th Sep 2009
I had exactly what the other lady was talking about, it stopped, rebooted itself, buzzed etc. So I sent it back to Vodafone & they updated the software on it. So far so good.
Hope this helps.
Is there anyone out there that can tell me how to switch on predictive texting.
Thanks.
Reviewer: Kosmas - Patras, Greece
Date: 17th Sep 2009
Guys I am going to be honest & objective. I have this mobile phone for over a year now, I have thrown it on the wall, crushed it with my bicycle, dropped it from the first floor & the worst thing I managed to achieve was to remove its battery. I only had to put it back in all these times & then it worked with no problem. I convert movies in mp4 & I watch in great quality. This phone is simply great. Only I have to warn you for one thing, this phone is NOT for you if you enjoy listening to music out loud because the quality of the speaker is poor. Although it is just great for those who just use their hands-free because the quality is more than gorgeous because it is Walkman.
Reviewer: Unhappy User - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Date: 13th Sep 2009
It keeps turning off, midway through the phone conversation it will just give me a weird signal, which then will have to get the battery & the SIM card out & reboot the computer. This is the worst Sony Ericsson phone I have owned. & I have been using s.e. since the 90's. They should take this off the market & replace the owners with better model. But in all fairness the phone itself looks good. Very sleek & light & thin. Function & design is the way to go!
Reviewer: Louisa - London, UK
Date: 9th Sep 2009
I received this phone as part of a monthly contract package in July 2008. First one I received would not accept any of my contact information from the SIM, Carphone Warehouse had to replace it for me as it was faulty. Second phone I received managed to open the contact info but kept freezing. It began to freeze when I was deleting photos, over months the freezing became more & more, during texting. I regularly had to rewrite texts because it froze & I lost all I typed. Froze during calls. Just turns itself off! The red light on the back comes on & taking the battery out & SIM does not make any difference at all. Very slow to use, more so when you are listening to music. The buttons do stick & the camera is ridiculous, no matter what format I use, I would need the steady hand of a brain surgeon to not get blurry photos.
Two weeks ago I finally took it back to the Carphone Warehouse to get it repaired. I was told the first batch of this make of phone did have a software issue. It was sent for an upgrade.
Now that my phone is fixed I have no reception, the volume controls only work when THEY want to & joy of joys, the phone STILL FREEZES.
I can't wait to end this 18 month contract I am locked into with a phone that is shoddy to say the least. Bring back my old Sony Ericsson S500i all is forgiven.
Reviewer: Paul - London, UK
Date: 8th Sep 2009
I thought I was the only one having problems with this model. I have had this for a year, thankfully it was very cheap in the sales. Only recently has it started playing up. The screen going black & then rebooting itself constantly, with the tell tale red light on the back. It usually vibrates before it starts playing up. I too also have problems with sending & receiving texts due its slowness, which means I am now missing crucial messages. Not sure if I will buy another Sony Ericsson, the ones I used to have were fine, maybe the Walkman models just don't work as a phone, maybe this was a one off, will wait & see.
Reviewer: Rich - Northampton, UK
Date: 6th Sep 2009
Hi, Had this phone for over 8 months, overall a nuisance due to it crashing all the time, obviously a software problem. Battery life is rubbish I now have to charge it daily which is no use to anyone nowadays. The only good thing is it's lightweight & tough. Average camera, good Walkman features.
Reviewer: Robert - Meath, Ireland
Date: 4th Sep 2009
Can someone with this phone for a while tell me if it is any good. I want reliable info (mainly on the battery & if there is a long term solution to stopping it from turning off)
That's it really. Can you tell me by next week? PLEASE! Thanks.
Reviewer: Bron - Midlands, UK
Date: 31st Aug 2009
I've had this phone for 6 months & it's been problem after problem. It freezes in the middle of songs, randomly switches off & on, red lights flash on the back, buttons stick, types things itself when you're not touching the buttons, I could go on.
It's been repaired once & replaced three times. & the sound is awful. Avoid at all costs.
Reviewer: Nicola - Barnsley, UK
Date: 28th Aug 2009
I have had this phone since Dec 2008, after about 2 wks it started turning itself off. This problem continued so in May I had it repaired. This did not correct the problem & it continues to turn itself off. I am currently in dispute with my phone company to get a replacement phone. This is the most unreliable phone I have ever had, & will not be getting another.
Reviewer: Edwil Shahryan - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Date: 23rd Aug 2009
OK fine. This w890i really annoying. It kept turn off suddenly. The speaker sound is horrible. Supposed the sound is great because it is Walkman. I can't wait to throw it it out & buy the new one.
Reviewer: Andy France - Rainham, UK
Date: 23rd Aug 2009
I have a W890i & I don't really like it, all it does is look OK & be very light in my pockets! USELESS PHONE HERES WHY.
Had it since Christmas & it has been sent back to be fixed once, here are the reasons why.
- Music Slow.
- Turning on & off.
- Battery wouldn't charge.
- Volume buttons stopped working.
I WOULD ADVISE TO AVOID!
However it does have a few good features like the TrackID & when it loads up the media is very good as well but the sound quality is rubbish & very quiet!
For my birthday I have asked for a Samsung Tocco Light because this phone has really put me off Sony Ericsson, I know the Tocco Light is a completely different phone but it looks good & I wanted a change.
Don't BUY A W890i AT ALL COSTS!
Reviewer: Vickster - UK
Date: 19th Aug 2009
Had for 3 weeks, dropped once from 1m & it broke :- ( Don't they do drop tests anymore?
Reviewer: Steve - UK
Date: 17th Aug 2009
This phone is by far the worst I have ever owned.
- Its very slow.
- It crashes all the time & the little red light comes on, on the back then starts up again.
- The phone went back to be fixed as the rear speaker stopped working.
- When it came back the camera no longer worked.
I can go on but I won't. I can't wait for my contract to be up to get shot of the thing!
Reviewer: Jack - UK
Date: 11th Aug 2009
Great looking phone, but it turns itself off about 10 times a day & you have to take the battery out everytime to get it back on again! The signal is bad too. Avoid!
Reviewer: Nina - London, UK
Date: 28th Jul 2009
I've had this phone for over 1 year now. Here are my observations.
- Alarm works whether the phone is off or on.
- Solid built, I must have dropped it so many times but it was still alright.
- You can play games & listen to radio & Walkman at the same time.
- Camera is nothing great, no flash so indoor pictures turn out to be rubbish but has the panorama setting which was great for taking pictures outside & merging them into one. Also has the usual burst setting. Pictures taken outside (anytime) were of reasonable phone camera quality.
- Initially the battery life was good (no need to recharge for 3 days) but after 6 months, I needed to recharge it every night.
- Usual Sony Ericsson features like TrackID, Walkman, Email.
- Internet connectivity is good but it really eats up the battery.
- Sleek slim design, virtually no weight compared to some of the phones which are like mini bricks.
- Speaker phone sound is a bit tinny but otherwise I found the sound quality for Walkman & radio to be quite good.
- Smart recognition of numbers. Picks up contacts & numbers only if you dial the first few digits, very helpful if you forget any number. Though on the flip side, the call history only includes calls during the last 1 week.
- The Phone switches itself off as & when it pleases, but I've encountered this problem only recently. That's the reason why I am changing my phone.
Overall I'd say it's an OK phone, lasted for a year & I am sure I'd not have replaced it if it wasn't having the usual Sony Ericsson phone problem of turning itself off.
Reviewer: Gabz - UK
Date: 27th Jul 2009
Good looking phone (mocha), had none of the switching off problems (so far) but the sound quality from the phones speakers is terrible & really quiet, I previously had the Nokia Xpress phone, which sounded amazing, with hindsight I wish I'd stuck with the Nokia!
Reviewer: Jayne - UK
Date: 23rd Jul 2009
Bought this phone a few weeks ago, love the slim sleek design, features are good & easy to use, one BIG BIG problem is it sounds terrible, when you play music it sound awful even when you get a text message it sounds that bad its embarrassing. So I am on the lookout for a new phone now.
Reviewer: Sophie Smith - London, UK
Date: 15th Jul 2009
Awful. Completely agree with Dan. My phone has suddenly stopped letting me send texts. I won't be getting another Sony Ericsson, used to love them before this rubbish.
Reviewer: Anon - UK
Date: 13th Jul 2009
Looks beautiful & comes packed with features. Randomly turns itself off. Avoid.
Reviewer: Louise - London , UK
Date: 10th Jul 2009
I got this phone about 5 months ago. I had a Sony Ericsson for 2 years before & decided I needed a change. The w890i lasted about a month before it started turning on & off about three times a day if I am lucky. It has now moved on to freezing & now the screen either constantly says searching or emergency calls only even if everyone else has full bars. It is so frustrating. The camera & FM radio also doesn't work so basically I might as well have a 10 year old phone. I took it back to O2 to get it fixed & the manager refused to repair it saying it was water damage & my fault, even though it has never been my fault. Has anyone else experienced the supposed water damage problem?
Reviewer: Richard - Manchester, UK
Date: 5th Jul 2009
Great little phone. If it would work properly & not constantly reboot everyday! I am fed up writing a text & it crashes or having it hang up on me while I am mid way through a conversation. Lately when it crashes I have to take the battery out & put back in. Ughh tut!
Reviewer: Dan Smith - London, UK
Date: 3rd Jul 2009
Yes. It's officially rubbish. I've had Sony phones since the J70 & they've got better & better, until this one. It stinks!
Good size & features, but totally unreliable. Switches itself off constantly, when it's in the mood a few times a day. Two people I know have them & theirs are the same.
I have had to resort to the J70 a few times when I've needed reliability.
A real shame they weren't recalled. Very short sighted by Sony & the airtime providers (mine is O2). I won't be getting another Sony. Roll on the end of my current contract.
Reviewer: Leanne - Coventry , UK
Date: 23rd Jun 2009
I have had the same problem, it varies by the day & what mood my phone is in but basically it switches itself off at the very least once a day, thats if I am lucky, & freezes most times I send a text. Also the Sony Ericsson logo's that were on the back fell off months ago & the answer & hang up buttons are now just red & green mostly, all of the paint is coming off & it looks like I have had the phone for about 10 years, & I look after it well. I have been forced to cut my 18 month contract short because I got so fed up with this phone. I am just waiting for the day it dies all together & won't turn back on!
Reviewer: Naomi Johnston - UK
Date: 21st Jun 2009
I got the phone & thought it was brilliant. It has a very good camera, & many other devices. It is easy to use, unless you have big fingers so it's hard to press the buttons to type a message.
The BIGGEST & most ANNOYING problem is turning off.
It will always vibrate or dull the screen & the red light will appear on the back & it just goes off in a mind of its own. When I am in the top of the house it does not really do it as soon as a go down stairs into the living room it does it every 5 seconds. DO NOT BUY.
Reviewer: Laura - UK
Date: 21st Jun 2009
It started off as a nice little phone, & I normally go for Sony (I tried a Nokia, but couldn't stand it! ) Not any more, it keeps deciding to turn itself off & crashing. I am going back to O2 to see if they'll swap it for me. I WOULD NOT recommend THIS PHONE TO anyone.
Reviewer: Kevin Hynam - UK
Date: 8th Jun 2009
As with many other peoples comments this phone is a shocker, this is the first time I have ever had anything other than a Nokia & needless to say will be the only time. It has to be the most annoying phone ever made, it has switched itself on & off 4 times in the time I have taken to write this (& No I am not a particulary slow typer!
Features are good, storage is great & when working phone is not bad but for how often it just decides to shut down it is worthless!
Reviewer: J Brown - England, UK
Date: 4th Jun 2009
I absolutely adored this phone when it was working, it had many small usability features that I never realised I wanted until I had them.
The music feature was a letdown. I transferred my memory card from a previous Sony Ericsson Walkman phone & it couldn't pick up any of the directory structure. I changed it so they were all in the root directory & still I couldn't see any of my songs when I wanted to create a playlist, so it was either play them all straight through or not at all.
Web browsing was perfectly acceptable for a non dedicated mobile device & I used it often.
I downloaded several games from Orange as well & it was a great way to not be bored on public transport & in waiting rooms.
The camera was grainy & no substitute for a general purpose camera but perfectly fine for a quick snap of something unexpected.
However it started switching itself off randomly to the point where I could no longer have a conversation that lasted longer than three seconds. This is not an exaggeration. When this would happen a red light on the back would go on & you could not restart it or anything until you took out the battery for a few seconds. When this happened, the battery would also start overheating. This happened once on a 3 hour car trip without me noticing & by the time I reached my destination, the battery was almost too hot to hold.
I bought a new battery which seemed to help initially but it was soon up to its old tricks.
In summary. I prefer the operating system of this phone to any other but after a lot of hassle & it being the second Sony Ericsson to give power problems I have gone back to the other mobile maker whose phones I don't hate, & doubt I'll buy a Sony Ericsson again soon.
Reviewer: Matt - Bury St Edmunds, UK
Date: 3rd Jun 2009
Had first handset & lost it on a bus, but when I did have it, it was a great phone, didn't have any problems with it at all & is modern sleek & stylish in the brown mocha colour, only available on O2.
Am thinking about getting it again but slightly worried considering how many other people have had problems with theirs.
Reviewer: Jake - East Sussex, UK
Date: 23rd May 2009
As Mark has said, do NOT get this phone! I never get signal & it freezes at least 3 times a day! Very unusual for Sony Ericsson as their phones are normally spot on.
I am also on a contract so I am going to buy an unblocked phone & trade this rubbish one in.
Reviewer: Anx - Maidenhead, UK
Date: 23rd May 2009
I can only agree with the majority. It turns itself off, vibrates, then the light comes on at the back & I have to pull the battery out before I can use it again.
So shocking in this day & age.
& did I mention no reception, walking along Oxford Street in central London & no bars! Utter nonsense, I don't care how good the rest of their phones are, I am never buying Sony Ericsson again!
Avoid at all costs.
Reviewer: Gordon - UK
Date: 22nd May 2009
This phone is utter rubbish & it turns off ALL the TIME. I am on my third one due to this issue & all have been exactly the same. I will never buy from Sony Ericsson again, absolute garbage.
Reviewer: Mike - Launceston, UK
Date: 20th May 2009
Do NOT get this phone.
- No Signal.
- Freezes more than the Artic.
You would be better off getting a pigeon to send messages. I am also locked into a 18 month contract with 3. I am going to buy a unlocked phone now.
Reviewer: Chazz - UK
Date: 15th May 2009
Good phone overall looks nice. But turns it self off all the time & the speakers stop working whilst on the phone. Also looks like water is getting into the side off the screen two, which shouldn't happen. Anybody else had the same problem?
Reviewer: Laura - Essex, UK
Date: 13th May 2009
Unfortunately Ericsson for that matter to re think.
My partner's phone does exactly the same & he has a different model! Between us trying to call each other the phones cut off constantly.
Happy phone hunting, but don't give your money to Sony Ericsson until they buck their ideas up & provide a better service!
Reviewer: Luke - Edwards, UK
Date: 8th May 2009
I have had this phone for 4 months now, for the £120 I paid for it I am slightly disappointed. Mainly because of the switching off problem after I have sent or received a text it turns itself off, it does this at least 3 times now but I didn't experience it once in the first 2 months now it is getting really annoying.
When I am in a call on this phone I have really echo after I talk, & it's nothing to do with network issues because mostly I have full bars on O2 & the other person is full.
Also you cannot zoom in on the camera.
On the upper hand I have dropped it countless amount of times & still does what I want of it. & it is a very nice design. Battery life is very good I can listen to music most of the day without it running dead.
recommend if you can live with the turning off but otherwise do not go there.
Reviewer: Bucket Royal - UK
Date: 7th May 2009
Recently got this as an upgrade from 3 mobile. If you want a phone to make calls from forget it. It finds it difficult to get a signal & spends most of the time saying emergency calls only. Yes, I have gone through all the set ups etc, it's a fault with the phone. So if you need to call out in the event of an emergency, forget it! Other than that GREAT. I am sending it back to get a phone that actually does what it is supposed to do, make calls!
Reviewer: Emma - London, UK
Date: 7th May 2009
I wouldn't recommend this phone! I have had the same problems as the rest of the world it seems with it spontaneously turning itself off mid call or text & having to reboot it. It does this maybe once or twice a week. Also it sometimes sends calls straight to answer phone without ringing despite apparently having reception, & I only know I have a missed call through the answer phone text. I thought I was going mad, but my friend has the same phone & exactly the same problems.
Saying that this is my third Sony & others were fine. Just don't get this model!
Reviewer: Carl Goldfinch - Canterbury, UK
Date: 6th May 2009
I have had two of these units & what can I say.
If it does not turn off 3 times a day it has had a bad day. I have put 2 software upgrades on it & it gets cured for 2 to 3 days then it starts back up again. When on the net it will turn off or using menu functions quickly. I have also had it switch off when deleting text messages. It a lovely looking phone shame the brown one is now silver round the edges where it has worn away. Music side using headphones is great. I can't wait to get out of it. I agree that they are like PC's but there is a point where enough is enough. NO light on camera is poor but hey I have had Sony for so long, good build shame they don't last, Samsung generally been poor. I need some advice on what would be a good replacement, any help.
Reviewer: Keith Scott - Belfast, UK
Date: 6th May 2009
I have had this for 15 months, got two of them, one for me & my wife. At first they where fantastic, then they started to freeze on the hand et, cutting off during calls & loads of small things.
Tried to end my contract but it would cost me 700 pounds. This is madness, please listen to me & the rest of the people on this site. Do not get this phone, it will cause you nothing but hassle.
Reviewer: Lee - UK
Date: 5th May 2009
Biggest pile of rubbish I have ever paid £30 a month for!
When you're in the middle of conversation with someone it shuts down!
I have had 3 replacement handsets already, lucky I got insurance really.
Orange told me it's the area, what? I get signals in about 2 places in the west midlands & that's about it, I may as well not have it with me when down my Grandparents house. I have got to say it would be terrible in an emergency situation. You would spend more time updating it than calling 999.
& as for the Walkman side, its good with headphones don't get me wrong & you can hold loads of albums which is a plus but when some calls you it sounds rubbish.
It's really frustrating when you have a full time job which is sometimes stressful & then you can have your phone problems on top.
My advice to anyone, don't buy it! Sorry Sony Ericsson people but your phone is terrible, I think I might go back to Nokia or something.
Reviewer: Vanessa - North Wales, UK
Date: 3rd May 2009
I'd already bought this phone on eBay when I read the above reviews & thought OH, WHAT HAVE I DONE! In all fairness, I have had the phone now for 3 days & so far no problems. It hasn't frozen or switched itself off. The signal is excellent, I am on Vodafone & battery life is sufficient for me. A couple of gripes I do have are much the same as everybody else. Texting is quite awkward as the keys are tiny. I have long nails & am forever pressing the wrong buttons! The lack of zoom on the camera is a pain yes, but surely it's only used if you don't have a digital camera handy. I love the look of the phone although it is a little fragile. I like a phone to be a bit more solid. On the whole I am pleased with it. Up to now it's a good buy. I'd say give it a go!
Reviewer: Peter - Gerrards Cross, UK
Date: 17th Apr 2009
It's such a shame for a great looking phone. The signal strength is poor, but more annoyingly the phone has an increasingly frequent habit of turning itself off spontaneously which, 12 months into a 18 month contract with Vodafone is extremely annoying & frustrating.
First of all, Vodafone informed me it was due to my SIM card being old, so they replaced the card. Then I was told by another member of Vodafone that it was a software problem, so I updated it.
The problem is now worse than ever & I can't wait to get rid of it. To be avoided at all cost.
Reviewer: Mr Gilbert - London, UK
Date: 17th Apr 2009
This phone is TERRIBLE. Turns itself off all the time. Loses sound while you are talking to people. The reception is appalling. My business partner had the same phone & encountered exactly the same problems. You have to pay for games etc, which is a joke. Best avoided.
Reviewer: Al - Derby, UK
Date: 7th Apr 2009
Lots of bad reviews on this phone, I must say from over a year of use, I have had a few problems but nothing on the scale of some on here. However most people report that the phone does switch off occasionally & this has happened but nowhere near the times so people are reporting. You should get a replacement phone & after its happened a third time you should get a different phone all together, this is your right!
Other negatives, the speaker is weak & if your using a real MP3 as your ring tone, you may not be able to tell instantly what it is, really bad especially when it's meant to be a Walkman phone, this is probably sown to the size of the phone a proper speaker just could not be built in. Camera is terrible, enough said.
Positives, obviously when you have your headphones in the sound is amazing, to quote another poster, it does seem to be a Walkman that's also a phone & not the other way around, so great sound. Battery life is fine, one great tip I received was to switch off the 3G network off the phone, this does two things, Saves on battery life & Solves the signal strength problem, too often I would either have no reception or only allowed to make emergency calls, not a problem now I have switched off 3G.
Great phone, has some problems but don't they all!
Reviewer: Patrick - Ireland
Date: 30th Mar 2009
I am more or less happy with this phone. Battery life is good & the phone itself is easy to use, but it does help that I am on my fourth Sony Ericsson. The media player does not really do it for me however. Plus, am I the only one that thinks that the ring volume is poor even at the max setting? the speaker can be a bit temperamental for incoming calls & texts from time to time.
Reviewer: Lou Lou - UK
Date: 27th Mar 2009
I am so frustrated with this phone. It looks fantastic but the fact it turns itself off whenever it likes drives me insane! I can't remember the amount of times I have had to take it apart & reboot it.
Music through headset is great, other than that (ringtone & message alert tone) rubbish!
The new 395 looks cool, just hope it's better quality than this. Let's face it guy's, it couldn't be worse! Could it?
Reviewer: Jess - UK
Date: 14th Mar 2009
I had this phone for about 8 months out of my 12 month contract & I only experienced one problem with it in that time. After about 8 months the signal quality was awful, prior to that it was perfect with no faults. It did used to turn off & re-boot sometimes, which is annoying, but you do have to consider a mobile phone is a computer, & I bet I am not the only one that's had your PC freeze up & re boot? In general, very good phone. I would recommend it to anyone.
Reviewer: Vikki - Dudley, UK
Date: 13th Mar 2009
An update on the Sony Ericsson Saga! O2 corrected me & I haven't had 8 handsets in the 18 month contract period as I thought, they actually counted 13! Thankfully I can give my 30 days notice next week. I am now on handset No 14 & have gone back to Nokia. Never, ever, ever again will I have another Sony Ericsson phone even if they give it to me free & pay my monthly line rental. If you are looking to change your phone then definitely don't go for this model as it will give you nothing but hassle.
Reviewer: Vikki Alterman - Dudley, UK
Date: 25th Feb 2009
Awful phone, I've had 3 of these after going through five K850i's (& I've still got 3 months to go on my 18 month contract). I think it must be an Ericsson trait as both models would switch themselves off & freeze up whenever they fancied it. At one time I actually thought it was something I was doing.
I am now trying to contact O2 to see if I can get out of my contract as I don't feel they are doing enough to resolve my issues, but their system is down!
My advice is, stay away from anything Sony Ericsson!
Reviewer: Ab - UK
Date: 21st Feb 2009
I am about to take delivery of my third new handset in just over a year as always have the poor reception, switching off, freezing problems others have mentioned. Orange claim no known problems with this handset, surely Sony Ericsson should recall this phone. I am locked in for 18 months & Orange will not give me a different handset. STEER CLEAR.
Reviewer: Mike Mcdade - Harrow, UK
Date: 20th Feb 2009
Great phone.
The camera is very good for a Walkman phone, although the lack of flash means you need decent light to take pictures.
The Walkman player removes the need to carry a music player, & the battery is good enough for you to use it as your music player & phone without killing the battery in a couple of hours.
The keypad is good, the navigation pad is a bit to small so action games are out. But for normal phone use it works very well.
Signal strength & battery life are top class, & with the full metal body & slim shape it makes for a great handset.
Reviewer: Steve Q - Bromley, UK
Date: 20th Feb 2009
The phone looks great but I have 3 major problems with it.
- It keeps unlocking itself, I am fed up of pulling it out of my pocket & finding that I've been calling someone for don't know how long.
- the signal is really poor. I rarely get more than 2 bars.
- Poor ring volume & vibrate because it's so small it's really easy to not feel the vibration, not hear it & miss a call.
I've gone on to use my girlfriends old Samsung instead, fed up with having to pay for calls I didn't know I was making.
Reviewer: Kev - Leicester, UK
Date: 19th Feb 2009
Had the phone 7 months now & just had my first problem. No sound when it rings or get a message yet speaker works fine when playing music.
Other than that, love it. Help!
Reviewer: Andrew - Rainham Kent, UK
Date: 17th Feb 2009
This phone is great! I haven't had any problems of it turning off or freezing & I've had it since Xmas. Does anybody know how to send games on Sony Ericsson?
It is the strongest phone I have ever had, I put it in the washing machine (accidently) & after a whole wash I found it dried it out, took the battery out & it worked perfectly, the only down side is I had a W810i before this & the themes I had on that are not full screen & because I have a old SIM I can't make the Internet work but that isn't the phones fault.
BUY THIS PHONE (Tesco is the cheapest place I could find £129.99).
Reviewer: Elf - Chester, UK
Date: 16th Feb 2009
No doubt a great looking phone, but like many comments on here mine also freezes, switches off & reboots all on its own, especially when you text.
I am on O2 & on my second handset because of this, & still no better. I am on a 2 year contract & have to put up with this for another 14 months, gutted. I wonder how many replacements I will have.
Anyway, great to look at but my top tip is to avoid it.
Reviewer: Ryan - UK
Date: 15th Feb 2009
Got the phone yesterday. Does anybody know what it is like on an O2 contract?
Reviewer: Sara - Edinburgh, UK
Date: 11th Feb 2009
THIS IS the WORST PHONE EVER. It turns itself off & on about ten times a day!
Reviewer: Thomas - UK
Date: 9th Feb 2009
I have had this phone for nearly a year now. There are loads of negatives that I have encountered with this phone.
- the vibration can barely be felt when it's in your pocket.
- the ringer is also very faint when you are in public areas.
- the camera does not have a flashlight.
- the phone will put itself off on occasions, then you will have to reseat the battery in order to get the phone to function again.
Positives about the phone are.
- It's thin & lightweight.
Reviewer: Squeeze - London, UK
Date: 9th Feb 2009
I loved the look of this phone that's why I originally chose to get it. However from the get go when I first received it, it started to freeze on the first day. Called 3 for help they told me to use the master reset & start again. Didn't help. Might have even made it worse. Now it just constantly shuts its self off & freezes in the middle of important phone calls. The speakerphone is terrible no one can hear me. & the Walkman doesn't function particularly well. Which is such a shame as I do love this phone it's been my favourite in look so far.
Reviewer: Alex - London, UK
Date: 7th Feb 2009
I absolutely love this phone, it has brilliant features, beautiful design, an attractive media player & a decent camera. This phone is one of the classiest on the market, love the iPhone'ish media player & menus. A MUST BUY!
Reviewer: Brendan Grace - Newcastle, UK
Date: 5th Feb 2009
Rubbish! Only had the phone a week & the reception is poor & it keeps turning itself off. Don't buy it!
Reviewer: Karen Whitehouse - West Midlands, UK
Date: 30th Jan 2009
I've had the same problems as you guys. People were ringing me & it was going straight through to answer phone as if it was switched off, I could never ring people because it wouldn't connect. I contacted O2 & they told me also to do updates, which I did & it didn't do anything. They sent me a new phone & had the old one, that was 17th December 2008.
I have just had to ring O2 again because now I can't make or receive calls. Can do texts but nothing with calls!
They are sending me my 3rd W890i phone!
It must be a problem with the actual phone as people on other networks are having same troubles!
Reviewer: Avnish Parkash - Slough, UK
Date: 25th Jan 2009
Just got this phone for 02 for £87 (£107 minus £20, minus £20 for a phone trade in, a really bad phone, Nokia 7210, including top up you have to get).
The design is great, just there is no protection for the camera feature really good but I can't use you tube fail to connect to media server (any got this problem).
Usability, just a bit fiddly at first.
Overall a great phone, nice size, good screen size & colour, good keypad & good colour coded headphones.
Reviewer: Tom - Northants, UK
Date: 23rd Jan 2009
Really like the phone having had it for about 6 months.
But, I am seemingly having the same issues as many issues with the software.
When someone calls, the phone makes no ringing sound despite the speaker working fine. For all the great things that mobiles can do these days, it should at least still remember how to perform the humble ring, No?
Reviewer: Kirsty - UK
Date: 22nd Jan 2009
I got this phone in November 2008 & it has frozen ever since. It's a really nice little phone I love it if only it would work.
Reviewer: Simone - UK
Date: 19th Jan 2009
It crashes. The reception is poor. The speaker isn't good. It is fragile.
Reviewer: Abs - Peterborough, UK
Date: 17th Jan 2009
I have had nothing but problems. Had the phone in September on Orange contract, it keeps switching itself on & off. I am recently having problems with sending text messages, keeps saying sending failed & the my friends receive the text message more than once & also making phone calls as it won't connect.
I have contacted Orange who have said to update the phone online which I have done, but still having the same problems. I have received a replacement phone today & guess what still having the same problems. Been on the phone again to Orange who said they will send me another replacement. I am not accepting this. I am waiting from a call back from a supervisor that's if I get one. Surely this is a fault with the phone or Orange software as many people are having the same problems. I am unhappy as I am paying for a contract but am having no proper use out of the phone. I will not take this up with Sony Ericsson the manufacture as my contract is with Orange & they are not following the sales of good act. I am not giving up until I get an alternative phone.
Reviewer: Jayne - North Wales, UK
Date: 17th Jan 2009
I have had my Sony Ericsson W890i for a while now, & I am in love with it. It looks the part, & works as well as any phone. Not had any signal, freezing or switching off problems. Signal is normally full bars every time I check! If not I just walk around my house & find signal super fast. All my friends are quite impressed! Great features I.e. Camera (clear, not blurry) etc.
Would recommend this phone on Vodafone or in my area to anyone! Love it.
Reviewer: Graeme - Durham, UK
Date: 13th Jan 2009
I would not recommend this phone to any one (especially Orange network) I purchased the phone on contract 6 months ago & I am already on my forth replacement handset.
Phone freezes an awful lot & turns itself off during phone calls, text messages. Also experienced problems with the keypad on two of the phones. Signal is Very Very poor at times which does not seem to be a Network problem. My current handset (number four) is only a few weeks old & has all of the above problems. STAY AWAY.
Reviewer: Kirsty - UK
Date: 12th Jan 2009
I am on the sixth month of my contract with Orange. I have software issues, no sound. Orange will not replace, but offered to send one out for seventy quid, yeah okay then. I told them that I cannot afford to pay that much money for a replacement for something that I haven't done, & they gave me the number for the manufacturer.
After reading up on this, I am going to ring them back & make them send me a replacement, free of charge. Don't choose Orange.
Reviewer: Kathryn - Wolverhampton, UK
Date: 11th Jan 2009
I loved this phone the moment I saw it but it has easily got scratched.
I haven't had any problems with it switching itself off but I have had it reboot back to its original theme for some reason only once though.
As I am a big music lover I have to have a Walkman phone & begged my mom to get me this one after my w810i (favourite phone ever apart from switching off LOL) was stolen but after only having this phone 4 months everything in my playlist was failing to play for some unknown reason so I have no had to remake my playlist again. But now it plays a little then stops then carries on. I have no idea why this happens because I never drop my phone.
I have also realised that not all of the message send I am not sure if it's the phone or Vodafone but I always have great signal.
Overall it's still a good phone.
I love the keypad.
Reviewer: Rebeka - Slovenia
Date: 10th Jan 2009
It's a good mobile phone.
Reviewer: Gemma - UK
Date: 9th Jan 2009
Have had this phone for about 6 months now it loses signal all the time comes up with emergency calls only, it freezes on a regular basis & randomly cuts off in the middle of a phone call, also switches itself off regularly so although it looks good I wouldn't recommend it!
Reviewer: Kelpie - UK
Date: 8th Jan 2009
I've had this phone now well over a year, & as much as it's been OK, it's not a phone I am attached to. It HAS however started to switch itself off, the tiny red light on the back of the phone appears & the whole phone seizes, the only way to get the phone back on is to take the battery out. This happens possibly twice a day. The signal is also very erratic with Orange. I was way happier with my w810i even though it feels cheaper, it's far more reliable. I do find Sony Ericsson's though, in general, easy to use.
Reviewer: Victor Pacheco - Fortaleza, Brazil
Date: 8th Jan 2009
Best phone I have ever got. It is fabulous. No problems at all. Buy it, today. Best music quality, design & cost benefit.
If you don't use 3G, disable it. The battery life depends on how you use it. Reception here is perfect. I am in love :-).
No need for an iPod. The only thing that I don't like about it is the earphone connection (it is huge & sometime you may face problems. I find it very fragile), I ask myself why they don't do something about this.
Reviewer: Flash - Philippines
Date: 8th Jan 2009
The phone looks & feels great! The slick new design, firm keypad & strong casing makes it a durable & worthy phone for rugged & professional use.
However, the software limits the phone. The GROUPS in the contacts section can only take in 15 people. The CONTACTS in the message section can only be up to 20 persons. The number of GROUPS is limited as well. If you are a person sends out a lot of messages to large number of people, this isn't the phone for you. Very poor of Ericsson to leave this feature behind. Nokia has more flexible CONTACTS features with their old models!
The sound of the phone needs development. Yes the MP3 sounds good. But this is a phone, with the Walkman feature & not the other way around! MP3 sounds great, but speaker audio (when used for calls) is garbled & lacks volume. Again, old Nokia phones sound better!
This is my first Sony Ericsson phone. I initially wanted the X1. Now, I am having second thoughts since the lower models have call sound quality problems.
For your information, My wife also got a Sony Ericsson phone the same time I did. & she experiences the same audio quality problems with calls.
Reviewer: Matt - Wilmslow, UK
Date: 5th Jan 2009
A rubbish phone! Signal strength is very poor on Vodafone (not network problem). Phone also freezes, switches off then reboots regularly & from time to time I also get the Inactive SIM message.
Also the camera is very poor, no autofocus making it impossible to get a picture of a moving target without it being blurred & no flash means daytime photography only.
I have also found out recently that trying to send a SMS to several people at once does not work!
Nice looking phone but absolutely useless as a phone!
I've now gone back to Nokia (E71). It's nice to have a phone that works again!
Reviewer: Sarah - Warrington, UK
Date: 2nd Jan 2009
I got this phone in April 2008 & I am currently on my second handset.
The first issue was that a message envelope appeared on my screen, even though there were no unread texts in my inbox.
Spoke to Orange who got a replacement sent out for me.
The second handset doesn't have the same issue but it does freeze a lot & randomly turns itself off whenever it fancies.
It's really annoying if I am trying to do something or if I am on a call.
Apart from that, & the fact that it doesn't have a flash, I love it to bits!
Reviewer: Jules - UK
Date: 1st Jan 2009
Do not get this phone. Now on my 4th or 5th handset (I've actually lost count) the phone has a habit of freezing, & also decides whenever it likes to turn itself off. Very unreliable, lovely looking, very slim & light, but don't be fooled. Just DO NOT get it.
Reviewer: Aaron O'rourke - Co Down, Ireland
Date: 30th Dec 2008
I got this phone on O2 for Xmas, & I have to say its the best phone I have ever used :D.
Reviewer: Rob - UK
Date: 29th Dec 2008
Honestly. I would never buy this type of Walkman model ever again. The battery is pretty poor, the signal quality is extremely poor (phone issue & not network issue) & phone continuously reboots itself. My brother also experiences similar problems with the previous model!
Would definitely recommend not to get this phone, bearing in mind that I have had this phone for 8 months whereas most people writing a good review have had it only for a few weeks etc.
Be warned!
Reviewer: Mr Angry - London, UK
Date: 28th Dec 2008
What a load of nonsense. I bought this on 27th Dec 2008 & it had SOFTWARE PROBLEMS. I was unable to send text as there was not text feature & kept switching to standby ever 10 seconds. Though good size & solid built. Too many features thus software problems. I returned it within 4 hours.
Reviewer: Claire - UK
Date: 28th Dec 2008
DON'T buy this phone, especially on Orange. I bought mine in June 2008 & have countless problems with it ever since. The signal is very poor & has been reported to Orange but they say they can't do anything about that. That handset also overheats & then goes into a standby mode that can only be resolved by taking the thing to bits & reassembling it, very inconvenient during a call! I am now on my third battery to try to resolve this problem although I am not holding my breath. Also have problems with callers actually hearing what I am saying. I can hear them perfectly but they can't hear me.
Has anyone else encountered any of these problems as I don't seem to be getting anywhere with Orange?
Reviewer: Rose - UK
Date: 26th Dec 2008
I've had this phone since May, & at first I have to admit the signal was pretty poor (on Orange). Weirdly, it's got better as the months have gone on.
Anyway, this phone has great features, & looks great! My only problem is the camera, which blurs easily & has no flash. But saying that, it's not a cyber.
All in all I love this mobile.
Reviewer: Sarah - New Marske, UK
Date: 20th Dec 2008
Excellent phone, I don't see why anyone wouldn't want this phone, I got it for my birthday a few weeks ago, an all round good phone my only complaints are it doesn't have a flash on the camera & it gets extremely cold after been left alone for even a short amount of time. I have got it in black & it has a very good design & is lightweight. I have no problems with signal, texting, or it breaking, no problems at all. Excellent phone, a must have!
Reviewer: Bob - Mcclean, UK
Date: 19th Dec 2008
Great phone no problems. Recommend it to anyone!
Reviewer: Gary - Harlow, UK
Date: 18th Dec 2008
Useless phone, impossible to rely on this phone to make or receive calls, as the signal & transmitter is frustratingly poor. Have gone back to my old fat Nokia that WORKS!
Reviewer: W Hodgson - Workington, UK
Date: 17th Dec 2008
I got my W890 from O2 for £127.00 plus a ten pound top up. Which I thought was a great price for a phone of this quality. I had it unblocked for 15 quid as I was having problems signal related. T mobile is far better. I have had phone for three weeks & I am very happy with it some people seem to be having problems with it. Thought about getting the k850, was advised to stay well clear.
Reviewer: Andrew - London, UK
Date: 29th Nov 2008
DO not buy this phone, especially on Orange, it is absolute rubbish. As soon as I got phone reported problem & said they will not change it said nobody else has reported signal problems.
Reviewer: Cheeta - Sialkot, Pakistan
Date: 26th Nov 2008
Just cool MegaBass, I love it!
Reviewer: Lisa Marie - Leicester, UK
Date: 25th Nov 2008
Rubbish phone, so pretty to look at but with little else to offer. I can rarely get any signal when at home or at the office but on the way between the 2 which is hardly the best time for me to be using the silly thing, the phone switches off whenever it fancies (leaving the red light on at the back & therefore depleting the battery) & my thumbs are too quick for the keypad. Shockingly bad, recall it now Sony Ericsson!
Reviewer: Andrew - Rainham, UK
Date: 23rd Nov 2008
I DON'T KNOW WHAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT. I'VE HAD THIS PHONE FOR 4 YEARS & IT STILL WORKS LIKE IT IS BRAND NEW, I UPGRADED FROM A W810i & IT IS WELL GOOD. BRILLIANT PHONE.
Reviewer: Clare - UK
Date: 22nd Nov 2008
I got this phone in May & haven't had any problems other than inactive SIM coming up but that was O2's fault & not the phone. & some people are saying they can't get zoom in camera mode. I though the same for the first few months but finally figured out there is zoom on camera mode, you just have to hold in the zoom button for longer. & as for the battery life, I haven't had any problems with it, it's been fine! Great phone.
Reviewer: Gary - Eseex, UK
Date: 20th Nov 2008
Terrible phone. Had it for 2 months before the phone bent slightly in my pocket & became totally unusable! The build quality of this phone is utter rubbish, the phone can't cope with day to day usage & knocks. It's advertised as being a sleek slim phone, don't be fooled or you will end up using your phone from last year like me!
Reviewer: Becca - Dundee, UK
Date: 19th Nov 2008
It's a great looking phone & unlike others I've had no problems with battery life. It freezes a lot though, comes up with incorrect sim & switches itself off for no apparent reason, also music & photos often disappear & take around 5 minutes to come back. Sometimes while writing texts it turns off & doesn't save the text. Good looking but very annoying.
Reviewer: Rob - Kingswinford, UK
Date: 18th Nov 2008
Do NOT buy this phone, especially on Vodafone, it is absolute rubbish, I am now on my third handset & have had several repairs done. The main problem is the signal (or lack of), battery life, sound is tinny & not loud enough. I could go on forever, just avoid!
Reviewer: Lisa - Leeds, UK
Date: 15th Nov 2008
RUBBISH! It freezes & turns itself off mid conversation! Sent mine away to be fixed but still rubbish! Shame as is nice looking & feel phone : ( Avoid Sony Ericsson, I am going back to Nokia!
Reviewer: Anji - Preston, UK
Date: 13th Nov 2008
I got this after having the W880 which I love however! This is my third W890 as they keep getting exchanged, the phone switches its self off all the time, freezes, comes up with inactive SIM, a real let down. As well as this the camera doesn't zoom in picture mode, only video mode. Love the look but the phone does not perform.
Reviewer: Will Barnes - Devon, UK
Date: 10th Nov 2008
I personally think it's great. See Review from reviewer Ian Hathaway, UK dated 18th October 2008. This review has been made by someone earlier. I'd just like to point out that the appalling reception is due to the network & not the phone. Likewise with the dropping calls. So basically the only thing wrong is the battery life. It's actually got quite good battery life a lot better than other models. So in my opinion I don't think Sony Ericsson should recall the lot & give us our money back just because of a slightly bad battery life.
Reviewer: Yves - Antwerp, Belgium
Date: 1st Nov 2008
3 months old & un repairable, water damage although it did not get in contact with any kind of liquid. I used it in exactly the same way as my 7 years old & still working Nokia.
I am facing a clash with the reseller. I'll keep you in touch.
Reviewer: Pat Nielsen - UK
Date: 1st Nov 2008
Nice to handle & clear pictures & sound BUT a really poor battery. I use this phone only when I travel so most of the time it is on standby not being used except to receive a few text messages. From the first time it was charged & used in that mode the battery hardly lasts 4 days from fully charged. My husband's LG phone when used for similar purposes only needs recharging every 2 to 3 weeks (sigh). I bought this without a contract as I need it for different countries so it was a pricey purchase. I stopped using Samsung phones despite their nice camera & design as the batteries don't last more than 18 months tops. Next time I will most likely go back to a Nokia as they also seem to have good batteries. Such a pity when good design does not go hand in hand with the basics such as a good battery.
Reviewer: Dave Briggs - Eastbourne, UK
Date: 29th Oct 2008
GOT the PHONE TODAY AFTER HAVING AN W880I WHICH ON FIRST IMPRESSIONS, I FIND IT'S BETTER THAN THIS.
DOES anyone ELSE FIND THIS PHONE SLOW? IT doesn't SEEM TO KEEP UP WITH MY TEXTING, QUITE FRUSTRATING.
Reviewer: Alex - US
Date: 29th Oct 2008
I upgraded to this phone about a month ago. I used to have the w910i, it was a big let down, I had it replaced about four times & then O2 finally decided to swap my phone to the w890i. The w890i is a birlliant phone, it's slim design works really well. I would recommend this phone to anyone who likes a bit of everything into one.
Reviewer: Knight - Trinidad And Tobago
Date: 29th Oct 2008
THIS PHONE IS OK the FEATURES AREGOOD BUT the BATTERY LIFE IS VERY POOR.
Reviewer: Mindi - UK
Date: 25th Oct 2008
I have had this mobile for 3 months now. Already the screen has bust, the case has fallen open, the phone frequently freezes, the phone is the worst Sony Ericsson I have had & I am getting the N95 tomorrow instead.
Reviewer: Andrea - Devon, UK
Date: 21st Oct 2008
DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE! I am now on my ninth replacement. I would advise anybody to stay well away from Orange & any Sony Ericsson phone post the W800i. I am incredibly disappointed & also stuck with this phone for another 12 months. It is the worst phone I have ever had & cannot wait to put it in the bin, where it belongs.
Reviewer: Ian Hathaway - UK
Date: 18th Oct 2008
I have used mobile phones for a long time, I've had loads including the very good Sony Ericsson t610. When I decided on a new phone I decided on the w890i. Big mistake. Battery life is very poor. Reception is appalling. It drops calls regularly. In 2 months I've had 2 replacements its reliability is nonexistent. I have now given up & gone back to my old battered t610 it might not have all the gizmos but it works & is reliable. DO NOT TOUCH the w890i with a ten foot barge pole, its utter rubbish. Sony Ericsson should recall the lot & give us our money back.
Reviewer: Lisa - London, UK
Date: 18th Oct 2008
This phone is very good! The sound is not tinny & the phone does NOT switch off by itself. I got mine from 02 for £129.99 but had £10 top up with it so it cost me £139.99 in mocha brown I wanted silver but brown is nice too. Nice phone only thing is the headphones are annoying & too loose for me.
Reviewer: Mike - Wirral, UK
Date: 18th Oct 2008
Same as KT from Surrey. My phone just drops out of calls & can lose its signal if you move an inch. Someone can call you standing next to you & it will go to the messaging service even though there is a signal.
Reviewer: Lena - Londom, UK
Date: 6th Oct 2008
A lot of people seem to have reception & freezing problems but it's probably to do with Orange software as mine is on O2 & I never in 6 months had a problem with it.
I got it after W880i & deep down I prefer it better than this model, because I was hoping they would improve this time, but no, basically the same but some irritating changes are: no longer you can see the clock without touching the phone, no longer you can get to phone status by touching the side button. Otherwise it's all the same. Battery is weaker (still fine though, lasts 3 to 4 days) but the playback quality is much better this time & there's more memory.
So, not bad but nothing is perfect in this world.
Reviewer: Kay - Banbury, UK
Date: 5th Oct 2008
I have had this phone since June what I do not understand is it switches itself off apart from that it is the coolest phone ever, if anyone knows why please let me know. Thank you.
Reviewer: Rosie - UK
Date: 3rd Oct 2008
I have had this phone for 5 months, its good & signal is good.
Reviewer: Martin - Isle Of Wight, UK
Date: 28th Sep 2008
No phone is perfect, However the W890i is very close for me. Mine is on O2 in Mocha brown, it looks really good & it does everything I need a phone to do. It makes & receives calls & deals with SMS MMS. Walkman side of the phone works well too. The screen is a large 240 x 320 & very nice too look at however I have one major why do Sony continue to use the silly headphone socket? Sort it out Sony a normal jack plug would be more user friendly. Nice phone I like it, I like it a lot.
Reviewer: Kt - Surrey, UK
Date: 24th Sep 2008
DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE! Worst phone I have ever had & I am stuck with it until October next year!
Cons.
- You can never ever get a signal.
- No matter where you are the signal will come & go.
- You can't make a phone call as it will cut out a minute into the call.
- The phone freezes.
- It turns itself off.
Pros.
- It looks smart.
- There is quite a bit of space memory on there.
Reviewer: Stef - Ipswich, UK
Date: 21st Sep 2008
I got this phone in late July. I fell in love with the model & design, small thin & light. I am now returning my second model of this phone. When I rang Orange (my network provider) they replaced it the next day! I rang them at 6pm, first fort. Obviously something is wrong with this model to change so fast. There is trouble somewhere along the line.
First time I sent it back. It just froze on me at work & turned off after sending a text then won't read my sim card. Orange was very helpful but nothing seemed to make this phone work!
Second time. The phone decides to pick & choose when it wants to read my memory card & also it doesn't just send one text at a time. My friend told me she received it 8 times! I would be very annoyed if I was on pay as you go.
This phone is nowhere near worth £230 NO WHERE NEAR! I wouldn't buy this phone for £10 now.
DO NOT BUY THIS phone!
Reviewer: Hayley M - UK
Date: 18th Sep 2008
Do not buy this phone, had mine for 3 months & had nothing but problems with it. Had a W810i previously & it was fantastic never had a problem with it but thought I'd upgrade to a better phone, gave my other one away to a friend upon receiving this biggest mistake ever LOL. The speaker quality is horrendous compared to the W810i to the point that the alarm doesn't actually wake me up in the morning & I have quite often missed phone calls when doing something simple like walking down the street, the phone freezes when writing texts like the phone can't keep up with the speed. During the last few days the phone has started cutting out on calls for 5 to 10 seconds at a time where the other person can hear you but you can't hear them, really not good when your telling your phone how rubbish it is. The phone has also been switching itself off & been unable to turn back on for the last few weeks this is now a daily occurrence of around five times a day sometimes lasting for as long as an hour at a time. Please do not invest in this phone if you have health problems like high blood pressure as this phone is guaranteed to send it through the roof! Going to go buy another W810i next week & this one will be going straight in the bin!
Reviewer: Ben - Godalming, UK
Date: 12th Sep 2008
Had this phone a few months now.
Pros.
- Very nice, sleek looking phone.
- Good music player with large standard storage.
Cons.
- Unstable crashes at least once a day requiring it to reboot taking a couple of minutes each time
- No flash.
- Terrible reception: reception bar goes up & down even if you stay still, displays emergency calls only.
- Have to use media software when uploading if you want senseme to work.
Reviewer: Sony - Leed, UK
Date: 9th Sep 2008
With its design & functions irresistible the first 2 weeks with the phone were great. Now it freezes during music play & whilst writing text messages. When this happens you either have to wait for the phone to resolve the situation or quite often take the battery out.
I have heard that these later models of Sony Ericsson aren't equipped to handle the software within them. The older Sony Ericsson models are much better.
Reviewer: Oli - UK
Date: 8th Sep 2008
Well I have to say at first looks, this phone looks the business. Sadly the real fact is its rubbish. I got this phone on Orange on contract as, at the time, it was the top of the range Walkman phone. OK if that's the case. Tell me this, why does the main menu look like one you'd find on a Nokia 3310? the media menu looks half decent so why the tacky main menu & sub menus? Where is the flash? My 810i had a flash on it & that phone is no way top end stuff (believe me. A flash is very handy if you think you don't need one) Also you'll find the battery lasts as long as it's taken me to write this review. I am also having major problems with software on the phone, its sluggish, it freezes & MP3's regularly fail to play.
You may be thinking now hmmm, why not get a new one? Well this is my second handset & I am still getting problems. I have to say I seriously regret getting this phone as I am now stuck with it until my contract runs out.
If you go out & get this phone for however much it is now (mine was worth £250 when I got mine) I guarantee you be hugely disappointed as there are many other phones available for the same price, or even less that are far superior to this old dog of a phone.
To summarise. Avoid this phone & don't go on Orange either!
Reviewer: Steve Taylor - UK
Date: 6th Sep 2008
Nice phone but buttons are too small, it is really meant for a lady with long nails. Apart from that it's excellent.
Reviewer: Mick - Sweden
Date: 3rd Sep 2008
This phone is very stable & has never let me down yet. I can live with the camera not having a flash, as I knew that when I bought the phone! Music player is OK, but not as good as my Sony Walkman MP3 player, which surprised me.
My only quibbles with the phone are.
- In Walkman player, it does not keep your original folders, artist, year genre etc are all there, but not the folders you actually created. So if you have a compilation CD from for example a movie soundtrack, it will pigeon hole all of the tracks into their original albums. So you end up with 10 to 15 incomplete albums. Why not just have the folder feature that is on the Sony Walkman players. Odd.
- the calendar alarm is a very short signal & I cannot find how to change it. So when a meeting comes up, if I am not listening I miss the short & very quiet tone. I contacted Sony about this & got the reply that it is not possible to change the tone or volume level.
- If you set the alarm to wake you up at, let's say 7am & also have a calendar appointment set for the same time, the calendar will signal once (quietly) & knock out the wake up alarm. So you not only miss your meeting, but oversleep as well!
Otherwise, it's a shiny phone that doesn't take too much space in your pocket & seems so far to have a stable operating system.
Reviewer: Ko - UK
Date: 30th Aug 2008
When I first got this phone in April I thought it was great, the features were brilliant & it looked smart.
After a couple of days I realised that the signal was awful, it just kept going up & down & loved to cut out in the middle of calls. I knew it wasn't my network provider because O2 are great for signal & my friend on O2 had constant full signal everywhere I didn't.
I proceeded to send the phone off to be repaired & they sent it back saying the fault had been found & there were no more problems which wasn't the case because the signal was still poor.
I sent it off a further 4 times before I received a replacement phone, by now we're in August, & low & behold this phone had the same problem.
I have now managed to get an exchange.
To anyone thinking of getting the Sony W890i just don't do it. All other Sony's are great & I still think they are probably the best but just don't waste any time with this one because I know two other people with the same problem!
Reviewer: Jayce - UK
Date: 27th Aug 2008
Don't get this phone especially if you're with Orange as mine keeps crashing on me every day, in most cases between 5 to 10 times a day & I usually end up having to take the battery out, put it back in then switch the phone back on which isn't fun for somebody who needs a fully charged mobile phone working at all times because of his epilepsy (I need it working in case I have an attack & I can get somebody to call for a ambulance).
As for Orange's Customer Service Management, they're about as much help as a chocolate teapot as they just repeat the same rubbish again trying to bully you into accepting their insulting offer as they think that they're doing you a favour in offering you a replacement of the same type when they know that these breaking on a regular basis.
I sincerely thought that my experience with Sony Ericsson would come to a end with the W880i but I guess I was wrong.
So if you value your sanity, don't get ANY phone by Sony Ericsson or one from Orange, better still, get a Samsung Omnia as its way better especially if you shop around for a good deal on contract.
Reviewer: Shannon - Basaldon, UK
Date: 25th Aug 2008
I am not happy with this phone because I have taken it back 2 times it's a really nice phone but it keep on freezing.
Reviewer: Cmartin - UK
Date: 24th Aug 2008
AMAZING PHONE.
Reviewer: Sid - Pune, India
Date: 19th Aug 2008
Well. This is a nice phone but will somebody tell me how to use the digital zoom while taking still images. My digital zoom doesn't work when takin still images, whats the use then!
Reviewer: Jasdeep Dilon - Afghanistan
Date: 17th Aug 2008
Whatever this is the best phone in the world it's got everything I ever wanted & my battery life is fine :).
Reviewer: Jack - Stoke, UK
Date: 17th Aug 2008
My Mum just got this phone, it's dead cool. Recommended fully by me!
Reviewer: Jaasdeep - South Georgia
Date: 15th Aug 2008
It is amazing nothing is wrong with it OK.
Reviewer: Natasha - Stroud, UK
Date: 15th Aug 2008
Hi I have had this phone since May & I love it I have read reviews on how there is no zoom on this phone this is wrong if you go to take a picture with your phone sideways there are 2 buttons on the slim side which lets you zoom in & out, as for the sound I agree with most of the reviews it is not very good at all, it sounds very tinny. As for the battery I have had no problems at all with it & I hardly have to charge it so for me battery life is good, however this morning I got a text message & I only got half a tone then another texted & I got nothing at all, so I rang my phone & all it did was vibrate. I am getting a replacement but I think this might be a common problem with this phone. If the new phone does the same I will replace it yet again as I think this phone is really good apart from the sounds & latter problem, I think the fact that my service provider was very quick to replace, it suggests to me that this happens all the time with this model.
Reviewer: Jo - Isle Of Wight, UK
Date: 14th Aug 2008
Got this phone two days ago & love it. It's the best looking phone I've had, previously I had the Ericsson K series. I've not had a problem with the signal or battery life, (& I live on the IOW, so signal isn't great to start with). There are hardly any bad points to this phone, just a couple annoying points, like the Vodafone Live button is the same as the back button, so I keep going into Vodafone live by mistake, although I am getting used to it now. Also when you receive a text, there is nothing on the phone to tell you have received one, if you don't hear or feel it vibrate at the time, as the screen just goes to black, where as my previous Ericsson had a envelope icon on the screen so you could tell by just looking at it. Also disappointed you cannot use the zoom on the camera in normal mode, but can in Panorama, Frames, & Burst mode. Apart from that I am very pleased with the phone.
Reviewer: Borris Leversko - UK
Date: 11th Aug 2008
Well I have had this phone for about 4 months & it is the BEST phone I've ever had. The Walkman is great & the sound quality is amazing. There are so many cool features with this phone & after reading loads of reviews on this site I was slightly hesitant to buy it because I thought that the camera wouldn't be great! How wrong I was. The camera is exceptional & my friend has a Samsung G700 with a 5 mega pixel camera & this camera EASILY outclasses it! It is amazing. The memory too is great but that is only with a 2GB memory card which should come free with the phone! It is such a good phone & there have been no worries regarding broken keys or breaking! Touchwood!
Reviewer: Emma - UK
Date: 2nd Aug 2008
This is my third Sony Ericsson phone & I have to say it has to be the worst phone yet, signal is poor on the phone & the phone switches off when ever it pleases, usually whilst trying to text or make a call.
Reviewer: G-man - UK
Date: 29th Jul 2008
I really don't think you should get this phone. If you're willing to spend that much get the Nokia 6220 classic it's much better.
Personally I am a Sony Ericsson man but this time I went for the 6220c & my friend got the W890i he says the speakers aren't very loud so there wasn't any point of getting that phone seeing as its supposed to be a Walkman.
I would recommend the 6220c or Sony Ericsson w580i which is a very loud music phone (external speakers.)
Reviewer: Charles Matovu - Kampala, Uganda
Date: 27th Jul 2008
I love each & everything about this phone, but I still have a major problem playing the music continuously, both from the playlists & my music. The player usually stops after 2 or 3 songs & I will have to manually press the next button. Could anyone knowing what the problem might be & how I could solve it, please let me know, thank you.
Reviewer: Caroline - UK
Date: 22nd Jul 2008
Had this phone just over two weeks & despite trying all the tips to make the battery last longer & to make the reception better it was all to no avail. Seems I can only use this phone when stood in the middle of an open space, no use when at work, in the home or anywhere inside. Spoke to Vodafone who were less than helpful, despite them recommending this phone. Eventually, they have agreed to replace the handset but reading all the other reviews I am not hopeful.
Reviewer: Haza - Birmingham, UK
Date: 19th Jul 2008
This phone is just extremely sleek. All of my friends want to have a look at the phone. I have had no major trouble with it what so ever. I got on a contract with Vodafone as an upgrade from my w610i. & when I got the w610i I thought it was nice & thin, however compared with my new phone, that now looks like a brick. I get 500 minutes & 500 texts every month for £17.50.
Overall I am very happy that I chose this phone, I also got a free Bluetooth speaker (mbs 100) worth £39.99 which works a charm.
It has a nice big screen & very smooth buttons which feel lovely to touch.
There were still a few things bugging me with this phone however, the first is that even though the camera is very good being a 3.2 megapixel camera, the problem is you have to hold it extremely steady yourself as there is no auto focus. But to balance this out, the picture will get taken very quickly.
Another thing is that it has no flash. Usually when I take pictures it is in the light anyway, & this phone has an option called Photofix, which will usually brighten the picture anyway. The reason I am complaining is because often I need to go downstairs in the night, in which case I would use my flash light. Now however I have to switch on the main lights. & finally when playing music for example & at the same time you are having a texting conversation, then the texting becomes slightly slower. However if playing music whilst playing a game then it is fine.
The music player is really good, very easy to navigate & use, however the new SensMe function that is available, is a kind of waste of time. You have to upload the music with the software in order for SensMe to even locate the music files. & for me I simply put the memory card in to my laptop & transfer the files across, which means I am unable to use SensMe.
The navigation for the phone is very easy, & the layout is very appealing.
The speaker on the phone isn't very loud at all, but I hardly tend to use, as I either use my headphones, which are superb or I use the free Bluetooth speaker, which is very, very loud.
In one sentence, if you want a cool sleek phone, & just want to have the other features as an add on especially being a Walkman phone, then this is perfect.
However if you prefer to have a brilliant camera & prefer more usability it is best to go for another phone, (I have heard the K770i has a brilliant camera).
Reviewer: Karen - UK
Date: 16th Jul 2008
I think this is a great phone. The menu is simple & user friendly. It's a stylish yet not over the top with design. The pictures from the camera are fantastic & I like that it's an instant phone unlike my previous Samsung which had far too long a delay in capturing images. The music player is excellent & works perfectly.
Reviewer: Anon - UK
Date: 8th Jul 2008
Can I just ask, for people who have got this phone on O2 network, does it come with flash themes?
Reviewer: W890i Lover - UK
Date: 8th Jul 2008
This phone is amazing. I've had it for about 3 months. I love the features on the phone & the design is great. The battery life is amazing too. I used it a lot & I didn't have to charge the battery for 2 or 3 days! The memory is OK but you get a 2GB memory card free! The cameras perfect for people who like photography & it's also great for music lovers. You can fit up too 900 songs in that phone. I would give it a 10 out of 10 rating! It's much better than my old K800i. People say this phone hasn't got contacts but it has! if you get this phone, you won't want to give it up.
Reviewer: Michael - Needham, US
Date: 7th Jul 2008
It's a decent phone but decent reception. It's a Walkman phone so it's meant for music. Problem is. The media player software STINKS! It's better to just drag & drop the songs into the media card. Also, the phone takes awhile to update the music files. It's bad that it does NOT just create a playlist so making a playlist with the phone is just rubbish! The sound quality is pretty good even for the radio. Let's get some things cleared up, it's a music phone, hence the Walkman designation! The controls & user interface are decent but NOT that user friendly! If you want a GOOD media player, then buy a MP3 player or an iPod! Forget about the camera since it doesn't have a flash or auto zoom. It's meant for occasional shots in the Daytime! Buy a (digital) camera if you want a camera!
Extend the battery life by, switch OFF 3G into GSM only, Switch OFF Bluetooth, Switch OFF anything else that runs in the background this will then extend the battery life! Sony Ericsson phones have the Proprietary port for charging & for listening. Sony Ericsson does this because it's their CASH COW! It makes people BUY their headphones & chargers! Isn't Sony Ericsson naughty for doing this instead of using the industry standard 3.5mm port for headphones & mini ports for charging? This is one area that people REALLY HATE about Sony Ericsson phones! The controls aren't bad but it's not terrific. It's decent but the phone will NEVER replace the iPod nano as the phone's controls & user interface is NOT that friendly!! It's a phone, primarily, then a music player! 6. Finally, SE puts dedicated call & stop call keys instead of using soft keys!! Wished they could've used such keys on the P1i!! 7. Coolness factor is another problem with SE phones as SE focuses TOO MUCH on the look of the phone NOT the actual FUNCTIONALY or FEATURES that most phone users actual need or use! Overall, it's a decent phone with a decent media player. It does look cool albeit it's PRICEY!
Reviewer: Louise - Glasgow, UK
Date: 24th Jun 2008
This phone looks brilliant & while it is in working order it is great to use too. However, the super slim design means it is very fragile & my W890i stopped working altogether after having it for 2 months. I was told that this damage was caused by using the handset in the rain. This phone had barely seen rain let alone been drenched enough to break it! I was thoroughly disappointed with it in this respect as I have been using Sony Ericsson phones for many years & have never had such problems with durability before.
Overall, looks great but is super fragile!
Reviewer: Ian - UK
Date: 22nd Jun 2008
Had phone for a week now & think it's the best phone I have had & I have had a few like Samsung F490 but did not like it the W890i is small sleek works well easy to use & I find camera fine on it nice & light & built well best bet is to get one.
Reviewer: Kieran Cunliffe - St Helens, UK
Date: 21st Jun 2008
Hey just got this phone today & I love it, it's easy to text, great camera. & loud for music. I love it so much ! :P.
Get this phone you won't regret it :).
Reviewer: Jeni - Bidford, UK
Date: 19th Jun 2008
I got my 1st phone in early May & I am now returning my 4th & getting a completely different phone model. The phone it's self is great really light neat & easy to use, but the ear microphone keeps breaking. The battery life's not that great either, I'd expect this sort of battery life out of an 8 month old battery not a week old one. Shame as it's a good phone but seems to be very unreliable.
Reviewer: Paul - UK
Date: 17th Jun 2008
What a fantastic phone! The looks, the music quality & the Internet. All I can say to people moaning about the camera is get a camera phone. This is meant to be a music phone, & that is what it does best. 9.5 out of 10.
Reviewer: Toni - UK
Date: 16th Jun 2008
Some reviews say you can't zoom but in the details up above it says it has digital zoom. Can this be used in video mode as I want to use it at a concert.
Haven't brought the phone yet but I need to know what the camera can do in video mode & if the quality is good enough for £230.
Reviewer: Bex - Essex, UK
Date: 16th Jun 2008
This phone looks so good. But what good is a nice looking phone when you cannot use it as a phone because it cannot find a signal? ! Reception with this phone is poor poor poor, sit this phone next to my work phone (Nokia) on same network, work phone has 4 bars & Sony W890i has emergency calls only. If using this as Walkman with earphones plugged in I have no doubt you can always hear it, however, even on the loudest ringtone the speaker volume is not adequate. I am reverting back to my old Nokia favourite, sorry Sony Ericsson, I did try!
Reviewer: Joanne - UK
Date: 12th Jun 2008
I have had my phone a couple of months now. I love the look of it however the battery life is terrible. I am on my second battery but it is no better. I have to charge it every 2 days & I am hardly using it at all which is a bit annoying. Apart from that I love it.
Reviewer: Abs - Johannesburg, South Africa
Date: 11th Jun 2008
I've always had Nokia phones, but the last two I've had over the past 4 years have given me no end of trouble, so I looked up Sony Ericsson ratings on the web & chose the W890i for my upgrade. Still getting used to the set up but I like it.
Positives. Very nice looking phone, slim & fits well in the pocket. Nice screen with good definition, makes surfing the web is bliss. Good 3G capability. Nice alarm function that lets you set up several different alarm times & schedules, this is very handy. Robust phone can take a few knocks I reckon.
Negatives. Low ring volume, weak vibration. The number buttons are decently spaced but the menu buttons are small & too close together. Battery life is atrocious only two days when fully charged. Very disappointed in battery life, gets nowhere near the claimed 190 hour on standby. Can't Bluetooth my LG laptop, have to use cable. Also very disappointed with that as I like to sync my calendars, Nokia does that very well.
Reviewer: Graham T - UK
Date: 6th Jun 2008
Concur with others reference the battery life which isn't good but everything else is outstanding. One slight problem occurs when I use the Bluetooth function through the TomTom in my car. When the TomTom is switched off, the phone will not permit sounds to be rerouted through the phone's internal speaker. It will ring but you can't hear who's at the other end & making a call, sound is similarly mute. You have to turn the phone off & back on again. Tried the recommended software update but still happening. Annoying.
Reviewer: Jewlz - UK
Date: 5th Jun 2008
Had this phone now for a couple of months & am now waiting on my third phone, the ring & message tone keeps breaking, same for both phones I had, don't know if anyone else has had this problem, but would like to know if you have. Apart from that I love the look of this phone, & it's easy 2 use 2. Will admit bit disappointed with speaker quality, had an 810i before & it had better sound quality, but through headphones it's great, miss the flash also, but hey how much can they fit into such a slim phone. Am hoping it's third time lucky with this third phone, as I love Sony Ericsson phones, so fingers crossed.
Reviewer: Mathijs - Netherlands
Date: 5th Jun 2008
For people struggling with the signal quality & continuous bad reception, try to switch off 3G (Settings, Connections, Mobile Networks, GSM & 3G Networks, Only GSM, & turn the phone off & on).
Before I changed this setting it was almost impossible to have a phone conversation longer than 30 seconds, because I simply lost the connection to the network. But now it all works fine.
With that out of the way I can really enjoy this beautiful phone. Brilliant design, easy to use & by daylight the picture quality is good. Best phone I've owned so far.
Reviewer: Jules - UK
Date: 3rd Jun 2008
My second review. Now on my third w890i after I've found that having taken my sim card out on my previous 2, then re inserting it, the phone just won't turn on? It's completely dead. Anybody else had this problem? Other than that, still top marks. Just baffled as to why this is happening?
Reviewer: Noor Hussain - Trichy, India
Date: 31st May 2008
I gifted my sister with the W890i believing that it will have good sound QUALITY but when I played the music it disappointed me a lot.
Reviewer: Kirsty - Birmingham, UK
Date: 29th May 2008
The phone is excellent! Only disappointment is the camera, don't get me wrong the camera is good, but it needs a flash LOL.
Reviewer: Hi Everyone - England, UK
Date: 28th May 2008
DOES THIS PHONE HAVE VOICE RECORDER?
HOW LONG DOES the BATTERY LIFE LAST?
IS the CAMERA GOOD?
Please ANSWER I MIGHT GET THIS PHONE ON 5TH June.
Reviewer: Karen Dadooo - Melbourne, Australia
Date: 25th May 2008
THIS phone is the best! Its gorgeous the camera is fabulous! The buttons are wicked! The sound is unbelievable & the music that you can put on it is loads. I am so glad I have bought it, it's so much better that the W910i that phone is rubbish! Anyway I would buy this phone if I was you!
Reviewer: Anon - UK
Date: 20th May 2008
This phone is great! Could improve the battery life though!
Reviewer: Martin - Wolverhampton, UK
Date: 20th May 2008
Had the phone two weeks now an on my second phone already since last one had terrible signal in all the places that were excellent on my W810i.
Second one not fairing much better, is anyone else having the same problems? Go's from full bars down to no bars continually, problems missing calls & poor voice quality.
Apart from that phones great but is if fit for purpose?
Reviewer: Dm - UK
Date: 19th May 2008
Cool design, very disappointing speaker quality & camera. Overall quite annoyed! I wouldn't recommend it.
Reviewer: Marshie - Barrow, UK
Date: 19th May 2008
Brilliant, cooler looking than the W850i (which I love) no light like the W850i but that wasn't much use anyway. External speakers not as good either but camera at 3.2 is much better. My only worry is that it's that slim I'll lose it!
Reviewer: SJK - UK
Date: 16th May 2008
LOVING IT.
Reviewer: Jim Ashen - London, UK
Date: 11th May 2008
The w890i is good for talking into & receiving voices back again. The other person can usually hear what you have to say on their own phone, & you can normally hear their reply.
I don't use the other stuff so in summary if you are looking for a portable telephone which you can talk into & receive voices back again then this definitely serves its purpose.
Reviewer: Yku - Paki, Pakistan
Date: 10th May 2008
Has this phone got shake control? Please let me know.
Reviewer: Jojo - Huddersfield, UK
Date: 6th May 2008
I got this phone on contract with Orange 2 months ago & I am on my 2nd one already! The phones battery only lasts 2 to 3 days & I hardly use it!
I was sent another one & it is just as bad as the 1st one. I have turned off the 3G & I only switch on the Bluetooth when I am using it but it still only lasts about 2 days.
I am in the process of trying to get them to let me change the phone to a different one but I am not holding my breath :) They have passed my call to the 'technical department' to see if it is a general fault with the phone. I am still waiting for them to call me back but I won't give up until I get an answer.
I love Sony Ericsson but if this was my 1st one it would put me off buying another one. The phone is great except the battery life & maybe a flash on the camera would have been an added bonus.
Reviewer: Viv - Coventry, UK
Date: 6th May 2008
I wrote a review for the phone when I first got it & said how wonderful it was. Well after a month of using it. I still agree.
This phone is the best phone out at the moment in terms of reliability & usability. Its very easy to use & the battery life is amazing considering the numerous features it has.
The only thing this phone lacks is a flash, which is a disadvantage on nights out etc.
But that is what digital cameras are for I suppose!
This phone is definitely worth it & I recommend it to everyone who wants a phone because it fore fills every requirement from good battery life, reliable, to the latest features.
Reviewer: Star - Bham, UK
Date: 4th May 2008
This phone is excellent I have only had it for a week & it is wicked the camera is excellent but it has no flash. The menu is so simple to use & the phone is really thin. If you're thinking of getting one get it because you will never regret it. The screen is much bigger than the old w880 & the camera is 10 times better so far the best phone I have had way better than my old e900.
Reviewer: Vicky - Leeds, UK
Date: 2nd May 2008
I got my first phone had it 1 week & it would't ring, it only vibrated which was highly annoying.
The radio & MP3 are OK but I have ipods for the best quality music wise.
Annoying that no zoom on camera unless doing it in VGA which is naff.
Also texting is a pain I have had smaller keys that this phone so thought a bigger keypad would help, I WAS WRONG! Its a pain & predict a text just don't work with me, I have to teach it everything all the time. What language is this thing working on (yes I have english set up before you say anything).
On the up, it looks hot, really I love the look, super think & great for the pocket of a skinny jeans wearer but given the choice I may not have gone for this phone again!
Reviewer: Guz - Middlesbrough, UK
Date: 28th Apr 2008
I love the phone, but I hate the fact that is does not have a flash, why do phone manufactures make phones without a flash, WHY?
Reviewer: Rebecca - UK
Date: 27th Apr 2008
I just got this phone on contract at the weekend, so far I absolutely love it! It's the best phone I have ever had! Before this I had the K800i & I really liked that phone & didn't want another one because I liked the camera but the W890i has just as good a camera! & the music player on it is awesome! Just like an actual MP3 player! I would recommend this phone to anyone. Only thing is if you're buying it on pay as you go, it's a bit pricey : (.
Overall Great Phone!
Reviewer: Lala - Hampshire, UK
Date: 25th Apr 2008
I was due for an upgrade & so thought I would check out reviews on several phones I liked the look of including this one. It's so hard because every single phone has good & bad reviews, so deciding was tough.
I went for this phone anyway in the end, having never had a Sony before, as I am quite a Nokia girl! But I have to say I am loving this phone a lot. It is hard to text & stuff to start with because the buttons are small & close together, but you do get used to it, it is quite a girly phone, especially silver, & does need small fingers. Loving the features like music, video & photo DJ & love track ID!
You can even play drums & other instruments on it, & as my husband is a drummer it has been a lot of fun!
OK so the Walkman isn't perfect sound quality but that's why I have an iPod! & the camera doesn't have a zoom or flash but that's why I have a digital camera! I think sometimes we expect phones to do everything, soon people will be expecting them to cook & drive for us!
It is fine for just listening to music every now & again & also for taking pictures if you forget your camera or for random moments!
Battery life is OK, but if you use it a lot (as most people do when they first get a new phone) it drains it down a lot.
Overall, I am happy with this phone & will problem stick to Sony Ericsson phones in the future now.
Reviewer: Pwb - UK
Date: 22nd Apr 2008
Superb phone. This is my second one due to the last one resetting itself & rebooting like a lot of Sony Ericsson Walkman phones seem to. So far so good though with this one. The Walkman features are excellent & rival some of the best MP3 players on the market today. Sound quality through the earphones is great although the external speaker is frankly rubbish! No flash or even a light on the camera however it does take very decent photos which can be manually corrected later in photo DJ or with one click in photo fix. Build quality is second to none as most of the casing is metal & feels solid in your hand, & the slim design is perfect for the pocket as well.
Overall a brilliant little phone with some fantastic features, just a pity about the external speaker & the lack of flash on the camera.
Reviewer: Robin - Norfolk, UK
Date: 21st Apr 2008
I have lived with this phone for three weeks now & generally very happy with it. It has everything I wanted, small size, its light, but with a solid feel (I hate phones that feel flimsy in the hand). For such a slim phone it has an excellent battery life compared with most of the new wave of phones, with a good level of use mine lasts 4 to 5 days between charges.
Problems, well the ones that have been mentioned, no flash & the speaker is poor, also you need to have the headphone cable in place to use the radio (it serves as the aerial). Sony should also sort out the usability of their PC Suite software which works but that's about all you could say for it. But, these issues are minor for me given the phones qualities. I have never found a music phone I could listen to on the external speaker, all are rubbish & the sound through the 890i headphones is very good. The buttons are small but have a solid positive action, I am 6 foot plus with hands to match & do not have a problem. The camera is actually very good in normal use & it takes a quality of shot that is as good as many point & shoot compacts.
Overall all phones have compromises & those on the 890i have been well thought through & resulted in an excellent practical handset. I would happily recommend it.
Reviewer: Chaz - UK
Date: 20th Apr 2008
Upgraded from W810i. The W890i is of metal construction & feels good to hold, nice & light too. The sound is not as good as the 810i, a bit tinny compared to the thicker plastic construction of the W810i but nevertheless acceptable. The menu system is pretty much the same, slightly improved in some places & the text input has a quicker response. Not too keen on the mini memory card, a bit fiddly to remove & not compatible with the W810i. PC suite is a bit tricky, not for PC dummies. I've not tried the camera to its full potential so can't comment, not really into picture taking.
All in all it's a nice slim lightweight phone with a solid feel, what's more you can get good fitting clear plastic covers to protect the screen (eBay) without making it bulky.
Would I rush to get another one? It would depend on what is out there next year. Happy for now though.
Reviewer: Tony Jose - India
Date: 18th Apr 2008
No flash, no zoom in camera & low sound output! My brand is always Sony Ericsson only & be only. The best of Sony as unbeatable is still W810i! I've it too.
Can't Sony make a phone having 5 mega pixel camera with zoom & flash (like W810i) inbuilt 8GB & in Walkman serious? You've to give an output of horrible bass while in ear phone. Our ear drum must vibrate while in ear phone. That's what I want from Sony.
I Like Sony Ericsson as it's best to me.
Reviewer: Danny - Hertfordshire, UK
Date: 17th Apr 2008
It's great, I understand people saying that it's a bit hard to use but I am so used to Sony Ericsson's & it's not a problem for me always playing with memory on the phone. Camera is great too & it's so stylish :).
Reviewer: Luis Walsh - Northampton, UK
Date: 16th Apr 2008
The down side are NO FLASH & not being able to zoom in camera mode only in video mode other than these it's a very good phone!
Reviewer: Lin - UK
Date: 16th Apr 2008
Great style, feels good & looks good. Like all other reviews above, poor sound on Walkman, no flash so no good relying on phone when going to parties etc. Not easy downloading to computer & not all computers are happy with MP4! As a phone, terrific. As soon as Sony Ericsson puts a flash & zoom on camera, It will be 200% & I will be first in line to get one. I still think the W810i is unbeatable. That is a fantastic phone & I wish I hadn't passed it on to my daughter! The W810i is 500%!
Reviewer: Danny - UK
Date: 15th Apr 2008
I have had this phone for 4 days & I think it is great & I wanted to know what other people think so I checked out this website & at the top it says something about touch screen & I don't know anything about touch screen I don't know how to do it can someone please reply & let me know that. Start your reply with Danny OK thanks so I know it's for me.
Reviewer: John - Malmų, Sweden
Date: 14th Apr 2008
I love my phone. It's the best phone in the world!
Reviewer: Sareena - London, UK
Date: 12th Apr 2008
I just got this phone for my birthday & before I got it ordered, I was really regretting it because I got the silver one, & I wanted the brown one! LOL BUT now I actually have the phone & I have had it for about 5 days, I think it's WONDERFUL.
It's design is amazing & I love the way the lights on the keypad move to the beat of the music, & I love I the shininess of the silver LOL & if you look closely you can see how beautiful it is e & on the back where it says Sony Ericsson, it's so beautifully engraved, everything about it is lovely, & you can see how much I have fallen in love with this phone LOL, but really it is amazing!
I also found so many things to use on it so there are some wonderful features, like the photo dj & video dj & more. I don't think people with big fingers would like it though, as it is very delicate & the buttons are quite small, but otherwise its really nice, I really recommend this phone.
Reviewer: Jules - UK
Date: 12th Apr 2008
Love it! Always stuck to Nokia's but this really caught my eye. Love how slim it is & how light it feels & the camera is quite impressive too, despite no flash. The only down fall for me is loud speaker is poor, so now I got myself a Bluetooth head set which solved the problem 110%. At the end of the day a phones a phone, but I can honestly say, given time, I've really began to like this one.
Top marks, but then each to their own!
Reviewer: Ian - Kent, UK
Date: 12th Apr 2008
Please don't buy it it's true the battery is 3 to 4 days (on standby) the camera will not allow you to zoom unless in video mode & I can't even begin to tell you how rubbish the external speaker is I have always had Sony & always will but this looks like they dented their reputation with this hunk of junk I hate it & I am in a 18 month contract I have now put it in the drawer & reverted to the better w880i.
Reviewer: Matt Roberts - Afghanistan
Date: 7th Apr 2008
Great little phone I like it, however, I have just sent mine to be replaced as the screen does not look like it is set square, when you type messages it appears to go up from left to right. This is only slight but very annoying, anyone else experienced this. Thanks, Matt.
Reviewer: Annette - Washington, UK
Date: 4th Apr 2008
Really cool looking phone, slim & light. The Internet connection on it is fast, the memory is excellent & the camera is very good apart from the absence of a flash. The PC suite is difficult to use, a bit too complicated I think, & the speaker quality is extremely poor. Apart from them few downsides I think the W890i is a nice phone with good battery life & is reasonably user friendly.
Reviewer: Alex Mccausland - Portadown, UK
Date: 3rd Apr 2008
W890i is well crafted phone. In your hand it feels good no creaking plastic to annoy you. As a phone the handset works well, with calls being crisp & clear. Buttons on keypad are small but have a good tactile feel & are easy use to.
Battery life is on a power with other phones offering the similar toys. When you start to play with all the features it will eat it up your standby & talk time.
The camera is fair, but its phone you're buying not a camera.
The Walkman part of the phone will challenge the best of the music phones. Packed with great features & when connected to a set of A2DP stereo headphones gives you great hands-free abilities, after all it's a phone not a MP3 player.
Design is great, solid & oozes quality. If it had been about 5mms broader & longer, buttons could have been made a little larger. Then I would given 100%.
Features, W890i is packed with all the toys you ever need. Walkman features are first class. Camera could do with a flash hence 95%. By the way it also makes phone calls.
Usability, I am a Sony Ericsson fan & like the user interface 100%.
Reviewer: Hemant Rathore - Bangalore, India
Date: 1st Apr 2008
Hey guys, any idea about the price of the phone.
Reviewer: Viv - UK
Date: 31st Mar 2008
Got this phone two days ago after having about 5 phones in the past 2 weeks & not being satisfied. I had the w960i, it's a really cool phone with nice features, but the touch screen is awful & slow. It got very annoying to use.
I needed a phone with good battery life & reliable, the w890i fore fills these requirements. It looks the piece & has all the features you need.
Some people complain about not having flash but when you look through the pictures you have taken with the phone you can use an option called photo fix which makes the photo into better quality.
For a Walkman phone, the loud speaker is not that great however it is acceptable. Overall a great phone.
Reviewer: Mookhtar - Chelmsford, UK
Date: 30th Mar 2008
I got this for more than a week after a long wait. Very pleased & I believe this phone so far is the one of the best around in present moment. I love it. Only camera has no zoom.
Reviewer: Martin - Oxford, UK
Date: 30th Mar 2008
The phone looks & feels great, very small & well built. Very poor external speaker quality. Not user friendly.
Text alert profile will not change on individual profiles (same on all Sony Ericsson's).
Easy to hit other keys while texting. I would not recommend unless you have very small thin fingers, don't want to personalise your own phone & do not care for quality sound from your phone.
Music player is OK through head set. I would not have another or get it exchanged!
Reviewer: Matty - London, UK
Date: 29th Mar 2008
Great phone. But on my second one now as the first had really poor signal. New one is fine but the battery life is nowhere near what is stated in the spec for me? It lasts like a day of moderate use.
Reviewer: Sarah Grime - Retford, UK
Date: 27th Mar 2008
I love the style of the phone. It looks very sleek & has a healthy metallic weight to it. It has some pretty cool features to it to.
However, I wasn't impressed with the speaker quality. A little poor for a Walkman phone.
Also, a little too easy to make mistakes when texting if you have anything but slender fingers.
Definitely do with a flash, but the Sony 3.2 mp camera easily matches some of the 5.0 mp camera phones out there.
Good buy.
Reviewer: Becky - London, UK
Date: 26th Mar 2008
Such a great little phone everything on it is great works well only disappointment is that the camera mode does not allow you to zoom but it will allow zoom in video mode is the same for everyone or have I got a dodgy phone?
Reviewer: Brian - Malaysia
Date: 26th Mar 2008
Really nice & thin phone, it lacks the accelerometer & Wi-Fi, but Sony Ericsson is going to release a Wi-Fi enabler accessory soon :D.
Reviewer: Big Al - Crawley, UK
Date: 26th Mar 2008
I love the phone but the loud speaker is totally rubbish, I always listen to music this way when pottering about & it is far worse than the W880i which I had, it is an improvement in all other areas but I use the speaker, so I will revert back to my Nokia 6600 & perhaps wait for the W980i in June.
Reviewer: Mark - Herefordshire, UK
Date: 25th Mar 2008
Could someone tell me what the speaker is like on this phone?
Reviewer: John - Ross, UK
Date: 25th Mar 2008
What is the sound like then? Is it better than the W880i?
Reviewer: Kane - North East England, UK
Date: 23rd Mar 2008
Got it today, looks wicked & strong buts the same as the faulty W910i inside, had 6 faulty W910i's & nine disgraceful W580i's which is rubbish to say the least. Fingers crossed.
Reviewer: Ben - UK
Date: 16th Mar 2008
Excellent mobile much better than my old w880i love the look & feel, feels very robust & features are good. Had no issues with battery life more than acceptable.
Reviewer: Kane - Saudi Arabia
Date: 16th Mar 2008
Cool phone.
Reviewer: Lorna - Cheshire, UK
Date: 15th Mar 2008
FAB Phone, really easy to use & looks great. No problems with battery life but the only minus is no flash but you can't have everything! Would certainly recommend.
Reviewer: Ruby Tuesday - UK
Date: 13th Mar 2008
Love the phone, but battery life is very disappointing, is this just me or anyone else experiencing the same.
Reviewer: Redmeister - Alty, UK
Date: 12th Mar 2008
Please can someone tell me if the built in speaker is as bad as the W880?
The W880 is too tinny & sounds awful & I ended up going back to my V630i.
Reviewer: Julie - Banbury, UK
Date: 11th Mar 2008
A brilliant phone, the only missing additions is a flash for the camera & Wi Fi, then it would be 100%.
Reviewer: Emma Chapman - Liverpool, UK
Date: 10th Mar 2008
Love my new phone it's fabulous it's got everything I wanted only had it few hours & haven't stopped messing with it. It's got sens me for your music so if you are in a happy mood you can listen to your happy music or sad. It's a very slim sleek phone with hardly any weight to it, great to just slip into your pocket. If your thinking about getting one I recommend not thinking about it just get it.
Reviewer: Lionel - Dorset, UK
Date: 10th Mar 2008
Overall a great phone, but like someone said it is very annoying trying to use the PC suite ! It's not very user friendly (admitted it will be once I get used to it) & quite a few of my CD's won't copy over anyhow. Great as a MP3 player (headphones are superb once you can get your music into it! ) Speaker is poor but a good solid phone.
Reviewer: Andy Little - Middlesbrough, UK
Date: 9th Mar 2008
Great phone looks good & easy to use.
Reviewer: Shez - London, UK
Date: 9th Mar 2008
Great phone. Everything you need, looks, battery life, & massive memory. Had a 8800 before this, & I can't tell you how much better this is in all departments. A must buy no matter who you are.
Reviewer: Paul Are - Oxford, UK
Date: 7th Mar 2008
I have had mine a few days now & I have to say I think it's excellent! It looks & feels great, & the battery life for such a small phone is superb. I have not had a Sony Ericsson phone before but it was very easy to learn & pick up on the functionality.
Highly recommended!
Reviewer: Lauren - UK
Date: 5th Mar 2008
I bought this phone 2 days ago & I am very happy with it apart from the fact that it's hard to find all your stuff on the phone as it's all in different places.
The other thing is the PC suite (USB connection) it's very hard to move songs & save stuff from the phone onto the computer.
Overall the phone is really light & well designed with good sound & music but at the moment it is overpriced.
Reviewer: Smella - London, UK
Date: 4th Mar 2008
LOVE IT!
Reviewer: Jaames Harrow - Bangladesh
Date: 4th Mar 2008
Looks great, should have solved the problem of keys to size of a grain of small rice. Still hasn't been released yet, (well on tmobile it hasn't) bit of a shame as they said due in February.
Reviewer: Mike - UK
Date: 3rd Mar 2008
Great little phone, well made. Improvements over the W880, better camera 3MP, larger screen, better screen resolution & improved menus. Shame no Wi-Fi & camera has no flash but heh this is a small phone.
Reviewer: Amy - UK
Date: 2nd Mar 2008
Anyone know the release date?
Reviewer: Tony - Riga, Latvia
Date: 25th Feb 2008
Brilliant phone.
Reviewer: James - Bangladesh
Date: 24th Feb 2008
This phone looks quite nice, will want for this, was going to get w880i but this looks killer, all those people saying dreadful phone, it hasn' been released yet.
Reviewer: Jamkur - UK
Date: 24th Feb 2008
Released in UK on the 1st March. Great little phone! Compact design, nice keypad, lots of features. Only lack of flash is down side otherwise I would of given it top marks.
Reviewer: Ross - UK
Date: 30th Jan 2008
This phone is not good & thats putting it nicely.
Reviewer: Tom - London, UK
Date: 19th Jan 2008
I love this phone but I would love it even better if the camera had a flash. Why do all the new walkmans not have a flash, it's really annoying me!
Reviewer: Gaurav Yadav - Lucknow, India
Date: 18th Jan 2008
What a stylish phone. I couldn't resist till this phone is out in the market. Power packed features & very handy too. I was looking to buy 890i earlier but when I saw this one I changed my mind. This phone would be cracker for all the music buffs. I would recommend it to everyone who loves the music as I do.
Reviewer: A Clare - Montrose Scotland, UK
Date: 13th Jan 2008
Upgrade of the W880i that I have already, just an improved camera I am led to believe. The W880i is an excellent phone, Packed with features including Track ID, Also a perfect size unlike the bricks that are on the market these days & very durable cased in steel. I'll be upgrading when it is released Q1 2008.
Reviewer: Dfunx - Pakistan
Date: 2nd Jan 2008
Well from my point of view I would say the phone is a combination of Sony Ericsson W850 & K800 since the features are quite similar. The good part is you don't have to carry 2 phones to enjoy, whether it be listening to music or snapping pictures. Let's wait & watch on how this phone turns out to be.
Reviewer: Lauren - UK
Date: 26th Dec 2007
I can't wait until this phone comes out. Does anyone know how much & when? It looks great & hopeully will work superb.
Reviewer: Rob - Chessington, UK
Date: 23rd Dec 2007
It's a great phone apart from one thing the buttons are to small & if you want a phone with a good camera get the Nokia n95 8GB.
Reviewer: Anon - Halty, UK
Date: 21st Dec 2007
I haven't got this phone but I have a W880i & I am guessing the ratings will be something like that. It has a 3.2 mp camera loads of other things & looks great.
Reviewer: Pete - UK
Date: 18th Dec 2007
How can anyone say they've had this phone when it hasnt been released? ! I think it looks pretty good, but will reserve judgement until its available.
Reviewer: Lohee - UK
Date: 15th Dec 2007
This phone is ugly, I had this phone & got rid of it poor signal & echo sound. I hate it I have replaced it with the w880i & I love this phone, get that instead LOL!
Reviewer: Anoop - Kerala, India
Date: 15th Dec 2007
Superb what an amazing phone I love it.
Reviewer: Kazz - UK
Date: 26th Nov 2007
This phone looks so nice, is there a release date yet? I read Q1 2008 but would love to see it here this year.
Click here to add your own review for the Sony Ericsson W890i
Home | Useful Phone Resources | Webmasters | Your Privacy | Our Legal Disclaimer
Sony Ericsson W890i Reviews & Features © 2006 - 2010, Your Mobile Phone Reviews UK Limited
Sony Ericsson Phones Best Buys
More Top Mobile Phone Deals
Latest Sony Ericsson Mobile Phones
Sony Ericsson Aino

Read Sony Ericsson Aino Reviews
Sony Ericsson W302

Read Sony Ericsson W302 Reviews
Sony Ericsson Yari

Read Sony Ericsson Yari Reviews

Read Sony Ericsson Aino Reviews
Sony Ericsson W302

Read Sony Ericsson W302 Reviews
Sony Ericsson Yari

Read Sony Ericsson Yari Reviews
More Mobile Phone Reviews