Features
Sony Ericsson packed nearly all the features of its high-end
k790/800 handsets into the w580i, making it a very versatile device for entertainment and communications purposes. The 580’s interface, Web browser, RSS reader, email cilent, and file manager will all feel very familiar to users of these devices, but as a Walkman-branded device, the 580 also gets SE’s latest music player software. As such, this is really a feature-packed “non-smartphone.”
The w580i also features a few fun additions not found on SE’s other handsets. A pedometer function will track your every step (so long as you carry the phone around with you all day), and the same technology that senses your footsteps also powers the Shake to Shuffle feature that lets you advance through your music randomly by literally shaking the phone in your hand. The pedometer works pretty well - and its functionality is enhanced by Fitness applications that time and track your workouts - but I found Shake to be a bit hit or miss.
An FM radio, Java games, organizer/PIM programs, Blogger integration, and a graphically-enhanced music sequencer program add to the handset’s functionality. The front-mounted shortcut button features a four-tab dialogue box that allows for quick access to favorite programs, Internet destinations, running applications, and an Events log. As on the K790a, I really appreciated having a dedicated shortcut button on the w580i - it made it much easier to access my favorite of the handset’s many functions without having to click through multiple layers of menus.
Sony Ericsson is a bit like Nokia when it comes to cameras in their mobile phones - they seem to have a dozen or more different cameraphones with at least that many differently configured cameras. SE brands their imaging-centric phones as the Cyber-Shot line and their music-centric phones as the Walkman line, but of course the Cyber-Shots play music and the Walkmans (Walkmen?) take pictures. So sometimes it gets a bit confusing.
The w580i is a Walkman phone that features a two megapixel camera, much as my old w800i is a Walkman phone that features a two megapixel camera. However, the cameras on the two phones are quite different. While my w800i’s camera sports autofocus and an LED flash-assist light, the w580i’s shooter has neither of those features. As such, the w580i is a pretty average picture taking cameraphone. The camera settings and included PhotoDJ software allow for a fair amount of image correction and editing, but image quality is hurt by the lack of autofocus, and without any sort of flash shooting in low light conditions doesn’t yield very good results (though a night vision mode compensates a little). Video recording is also limited to QCIF (176 x 144) resolution, and captured clips are pretty jittery.
Viewing saved photos using the handset’s gallery software is, on the other hand, an excellent experience. The Camera Album is very similar to the one found on the K790a, and allows for thumbnail and full screen viewing in both landscape and portrait modes. Album thumbnails may be viewed en masse or viewed by month in Timeline mode. A “Blog This” function allows for easy uploading of photos to a Blogger account for Web-based sharing.
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4.7
