8 April 2008
By: Cosmin Vasile, Communications News Editor
Sony Ericsson W380i Review
Funky music phone with Gesture control function
Sony Ericsson W380i is a low mid-level ranged clamshell, which introduces new features
into the handset market. Besides the external touch music controls that seem to take
advantage of the 'haptic feedback' technology, the clamshell also features gesture control. It
is surprising that the Japanese-Swedish joint-venture decided to test new technologies by
embedding it onto entry level products. Still, this policy will probably make these handsets
sell much better than any other device in their range. Without impressing too much through
its design, Sony Ericsson W380i proves to be an excellent choice for those music lovers
that cannot afford an expensive Walkman series mobile phone. Announced in November
2007, Sony Ericsson W380i clamshell was out on the market four months later, in March
2008. Even if it is cheaper than its Walkman series predecessors are, W380i is still worth no
less than USD 320$ (SIM free) and is available in four colors: Electric Purple, Magnetic
Grey, Black Champagne and Black Orange. DesignSony Ericsson W380i features a
clamshell form factor, but it will not stand out in the crowd. The phone can very easily stay
in a youngster's hands, as well as in a businessman's. It looks funky, but serious at the
same time. Measuring 92 x 49 x 16 mm and weighing 100 grams (including battery), the
handset fits perfectly into a medium sized pocket. The excellent plastic used gives the
phone a stylish and trendy look, but W380i is still far from being a fashion phone.
Unfortunately, unfolding it with a single hand is out of the question or at least very hard to
carry out. External keys are limited to a dual volume key found on the right side of the
clamshell, and the three touch controls placed near the secondary external display. On the
left side of the phone, the proprietary Sony Ericsson port enables users to attach the
headset that comes in the sales package, the charger, or the USB cable for
synchronization. There is a bad part and a good part about this kind of port. While you
cannot charge the phone and listen to music to the headphones also, instead you can
charge the battery of the phone during synchronization with a PC. This will definitely take
more time, but at least you get this option that is not available for too many handsets. The
front part of the clamshell features the secondary external OLED mono display (128 x 36
pixels resolution), which is not visible until you activate the music player or unfold the
phone. At a first glance, the 3 external music controls placed right under the small OLED
display seem to have only an ornamental purpose, but they're touch keys that control the
music player and feature 'haptic feedback'. You don't need to press too hard on the keys,
but only pat them gently as they are very responsive. The 1.3 Megapixel camera has been
placed above the small screen together with the speakerphone. On the back of the phone,
you will notice a small keylock that unlocks the external touch keys, so you can start the
MP3 player without unfolding the clamshell. The internal keypad reveals itself the moment
you unfold the phone. It is pretty big and features large spaces between keys, which makes
typos impossible. Unfortunately, the buttons are a little bit illegible if not exposed to good
light conditions, and a little bit hard to press. The layout of the keypad is the usual,
embedded into all Sony Ericsson's handsets, with one exception: the power button that can
be found right under the big D-pad. There are also 2 contextual keys, the Back key, the C
(Correct) key and 2 dedicated keys that gives the user direct access to Internet browsing
and Task manager. If you press the upper part of the big D-pad (marked with the 'w' letter) it
will open the MP3 player application, but you can also designate other shortcuts for the rest
of the D-pad (left, right, down). The clamshell features a small prominence at the base right
under the keypad, which hinders any possible contact between the 2 parts of the clamshell,
thus keeping the keys clean and safe from scratches. The opening mechanism is sturdy
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