Updated 14 Feb, 2012, 2:33 pm IST

REVIEWS / MOBILE PHONES / SONY ERICSSON

Sony Ericsson W380

13 May, 2008, 4:29 pm IST | Shayne Rana | Mobile phones

The W380 is not a handset that’s designed for the guy on the go; like I said earlier, it appears to cater to the fashion conscious or just plain funky generation. Feature-wise, the W380 is equipped with everything such folk would expect from a cool gadget.

Media
Since it’s a Walkman Series handset, the player has no issues except that it doesn’t have a manually adjustable EQ. Not that it matters; the MEGABass and other presets make up quite well. What I really liked was the FM radio pickup. I had no problem with signals during my lengthy daily commute.

What I was a bit disappointed with was video player. Even though it has an option for full screen viewing, it refused to work. So I had to watch videos in a tiny window. Bummer. SE's Walkman handsets come with a 3.5mm handsfree converter, so you can opt to use your own earphones if you wish. The speakerphone is not too loud.

Connectivity
The W380 comes with the PlayNow application and Sony Ericsson’s Plus application for downloading content. The W380 supports HSCSD, GPRS and EDGE, which is great. You can set up your email and check it quite easily through the messaging menu. The proprietary USB connector supports 2.0 speeds. The inclusion of Bluetooth with A2DP profile means you can get yourself a good stereo Bluetooth headset and enjoy wire-free music. Sony’s TrackID feature is also supported.

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Other Features
This handset is well-equipped with plenty of regular features that you’d use regularly. Some of these include Music Mate 2, and games like Extreme Snowboarding, QudraPop and Sims2. The W380 also has Sony Ericsson’s MusicDJ application for making music on the phone. Other usual features include a Calendar for reminders, a Notes feature, Tasks, Timer, Stopwatch and Code Memo for secure information.

The W380 has a separate voice recorder. The gesture control will take some getting used to, but it means you don't need to use the volume keys to silence a call. You have to slide your finger or hand back and forth over the camera lens area at least twice to silence the handset. Your hand can be at a maximum distance of about 2cm above the sensor, but I’d recommend you keep it closer.

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Tags: Walkman

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